Crushed
by Heachan
Summary: Takes place after Manga/Brotherhood. Roy drags Ed on a mission up north to investigate some suspicious activity within the military. After running into some problems will they be able to return home safely?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One-The Chase

Cold white flakes drifted through the air, coating everything they touched in white. Grey clouds hovered overhead and caused the world below to feel like it was later in the day then it was. Despite the cold weather though, the small town's citizens continued with their regular daily routine. They moved quickly from one building to the other, trying to avoid the bite of the wind and the colder degrees outside. It was not an odd sight to see people pulling their collars up on their coats and rubbing their hands together. With so many townsfolk out, it was difficult to avoid them as the one military car came speeding down the main road. Pedestrians who saw the vehicle, moved back onto the sidewalk, in hopes that the driver would not swerve up onto the normally safe haven. For those who weren't quick enough to get out of the road, the driver would yank the wheel to one side or the other in order to avoid hitting anyone. Coming up from behind was another military vehicle, also driving reckless if not more so then the first one. A woman let out a yelp when her husband pulled her back from the road just as the second car almost side swiped her. The chase had been going on for awhile despite the fact that the first driver was quite inexperienced behind the wheel. Even taking the icy road into consideration, he still managed to maneuver around corners, keeping enough distance between the two cars. The first vehicle suddenly lost traction and his gloved hands tightened around the steering wheel as he turned into the slide. The car behind him did the same thing, skidding on the same patch of ice but recovered quickly.

"Dammit," the driver of the first car cussed under his breath as he headed out of town. He really wasn't sure where he was going and didn't even have a plan. He just knew they had to get away and staying in town would only endanger people's lives. Unfortunately by leaving the bustling area, the road became even more dangerous as they headed down the mountain. One bad slide to the left could end the chase permanently so the driver hugged the right side of the road as best he could. He needed a plan. They had to loose their tail before something bad happened. As hard as he thought though, he couldn't think of anything that could get them out of this predicament. A shot rang out causing him to instinctively hunch over the steering wheel even more, ducking his head low. "They're shooting at us now!" His voice came out in a high pitched squeal that caused his passenger to want to cover his ears. The screech however had pulled him from his stupor as he rubbed the side of his head in hopes that it would ease the headache he had. It didn't. There was another shot, this one breaking the back window. The driver dropped his head even lower as another curse word left his lips.

"You...you need to calm down, otherwise you'll get us killed," the passenger calmly stated while he continued to bury his one hand into his side, deep crimson soaking into his blue uniform. What was mistaken for calmness in his voice was probably shock setting in.

"First of all, you're the one who dragged me up here in the first place so if I die, it'll be your fault." Despite the severity of the accusation, he sounded more irritated then concerned. "And second, I could use your help loosing these guys." The older man in the passenger's seat grudgingly sat up, coughing weakly. He instinctively brought his hand up to his mouth as his cough became more intense. Worry crept into the driver's facial features followed by total shock when the passenger removed his hand to find blood covering his once white glove. His dark gaze only widened slightly in surprise. He was going to need a hospital but not until they got away from the other vehicle. The passenger moved again, cringing from the intense pain that movement brought. He could hear his heart pounding in his ear as he turned some. Taking several deep breaths, his broken ribs ached as they were pressed outwards by his lungs desperately in need of air. Each breath came out in a small puff which only showed all the more that he was in trouble. "Are you going to be alright?" The driver nervously brought his eyes back to the road, jerking the steering wheel in order to avoid a tree limb in their path. There wasn't an answer as the older man brought his hand up and seemed to be concentrating. "Mustang," the driver hollered to get his attention.

"Just watch the road, Elric." There was an obvious strain in his normally calm voice. "Once we get down the mountain, we can worry about me." Steadying his gaze as well as his aim, he snapped, all the while hoping that the snow and blood hadn't soaked his ignition cloth too much. A blaze could be seen in the rear view mirror between the cars, instantly melting the snow and causing more to come crashing down the mountain. Edward watched the other car try to avoid the snow, only to get stuck in the heavy blanket of it that came from above. He let out the breath he was holding, missing the dip in the road. The abrupt jostling of the vehicle caused him to loose control as the rear tires began to slide to the right. Slamming on the brakes did him little good as the wheels locked up and there was no way to correct the problem. If only he could use alchemy...if only he knew how to drive better...if only he hadn't agreed to this insane trip up in the freezing north that he hated so much with someone as annoying as Mustang, he wouldn't be in this mess. But he was.

They hit another bump, sending Mustang back into his seat, clutching his midsection for protection. The path widened, however now there were more trees in the way. Edward tried to avoid them as best he could until the front right tire hit a stump, hidden in the snow. The tire blew out instantly, making controlling the car even more difficult. The vehicle continued to slide on the sheet of ice that was the road before shifting so far left, it went over the edge. Luckily it didn't roll over, slamming into a thin tree with a loud crack. Edward hit his head on the seat before being hurled forward, causing his forehead to make contact with the steering wheel. Every thing seemed silent for a second as Ed shifted in his seat, wiping at the blood that had trickled down his face. The tree in front of them creaked under the strain of the car and the frame around them seemed to shutter in response. Neither one of them moved for fear that said movement would interrupt the stillness. Despite their efforts though, there was another loud snap of the tree. It wasn't going to last long.

"We have to get out of here," Edward admitted glancing over at his commanding officer only to realize he wouldn't be moving quickly anytime soon. Before he could come up with a solution there was another protesting creak and then a final snap of the weakened tree. The car was moving downward again, picking up momentum as the hill became steeper. Ed braced himself as best he could before they finally hit another tree, this one much thicker then the last. The sudden stop flung both occupants of the car back again, this time though Edward's neck made a painful snap before he hit his head once more even harder. The hood of the car was smashed in, forcing the dash board into Ed's legs. He was pinned now and what was worse was the jagged piece of metal that was shoved into the side of his right leg. Part of the tree had come through the windshield, just barely missing the two of them, however one of the smaller limbs had pressed into the General's shoulder, holding him against the seat. The only sound that remained now was the slight hissing from the cracked radiator.

"Did we finally st...stop," the General let out another short breath. "Y..you okay over there?" His voice sounded shaky as he tried to look around the part of the tree's trunk that was now invading the front seat. Edward was silent, his head still against the wheel while his arms laid heavily at his sides, His entire weight rested on the taunt seat belt while blood continued to gush from his head wound. "Hhh...hey come on." Painfully, he managed to get his hand over to the blond's shoulder to nudge him. "Fullmetal, wake up! That's an order!" Worry started to edge it's way into Mustang's tone, causing him to forget Ed no longer carried his State alchemist's title anymore. "Fullmetal, you have to be alright. Wake up, Ed!

oOoOo

A/N-You know just when I tell myself that I am retired and don't want to write anymore fanfic, I go and get another good idea for a story. XC And then I have to write it, of course. So everyone knows the drill, send me love in the form of a review, cause any other form of affection would probably be weird. If you just do a story alert or favorite story, I'm just gonna take longer to update. I'm pretty fair about updating quickly but come on and take a second to at least say you like it so far. Also for those of you who might start going crazy waiting for the next chapter, this is technically a sequal for 'Darkness Within' which also takes place after the manga/Brotherhood. This will stand on it's own but like I said if you haven't read that one it's good, promise. And always thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Fullmetal, you have to be alright. Wake up, Ed!"

Chapter Two-Orders

(Two days earlier)

The knock on the door pulled him back to reality. The light tapping sounded more like the person was pounding then just knocking to him as the sound felt like it would split his skull. Of course a sound could never actually do that, his hangover said differently when it came to any noise this morning. He moaned as he brought his feet off the desk and straightened cautiously as not to disturb his stomach any more then it already was. Just when he was finally getting some half decent sleep, the loud rapping on the heavy oak dragged him back to consciousness. Why couldn't this be one of those laid back days at the office? One that didn't require his full attention on anything. Grudgingly, he muttered permission to enter but continued to lean forward with one hand over his eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but you have a phone call. It's General Hakuro," Lt. Hawkeye explained, keeping her voice low. He nodded calculatingly back, trying to push past the aching in his shoulders in order to reach for the phone. Quietly the Lieutenant closed the door, walking further into the office. Despite her best efforts though, she noticed his head turn away with every sound she made. Moving behind his chair, she continued to speak quietly. "Roy, are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, I just need a minute." He felt her hands at the backside of his neck as she tried to rub some of the soreness away. The night before had been something to celebrate, and he did the only way he knew how, with scotch. Unfortunately for Riza, she was unable to celebrate along with him since the reason for such an uncharacteristic binge was that she was pregnant. Somewhere in the evening's festivities, he'd lost his judgment on what was too much and was now paying for it.

"Alright, well if you need anything." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, causing him to stifle a pathetic attempt at a smile. He was kind of surprised at her show of affection, she was usually so reserved when they were in the office. She slipped out and he cleared his throat before answering the phone.

"Mustang here."

"Ah, just the man for the job," The Flame alchemist noted Hakuro's mocked flattery as he explained the purpose for the call. The man on the other end of the line had never really cared for Roy and he knew it. He had followed the previous Furer whole heartedly and still seemed to hold the grudge. Mustang really could care less especially on a day like today when he felt the way he did.

"You mean this afternoon?" Despite his respectful tone, his irritation was evident in his demeanor. His grip on the phone had tightened as he glared across the room at nothing in particular while he ground his teeth together.

"Yes sir, I understand. But shouldn't someone in investigations take this over?" He covered the receiver with his hand and let out a weary sigh. His glare turned to settle on the pile of papers at the edge of his desk. He would so rather handle the stack he had been putting off all morning then accept this mission. "Point taken, I'll take care of it. Yes, thank you, sir." He had to get off the phone before his frustration came out in his tone any more then it already had. There had been the obvious smirk in the other General's voice as though he knew this order was really annoying him. If only he had just called in sick this particular day like he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been here to answer the phone. Leaning his forehead on his desk he overheard some commotion from outside his office before the door was pushed open and was slammed lazily against the wall. Instinctively, without looking, he brought his gloved hand up and snapped, hearing a satisfying scream from the only person with the audacity to come into his office, unwelcomed. The flame was rather small and by the time it reached the door had fizzled into nothing. It had just enough power to blacken the distraught person's face with soot. "How many times have I told you to knock?" He turned his head to see a very disgruntled Major Elric standing there. The corner of his paper work was still lit and he quickly putting the small fire out.

"Not enough to warrant that kind of response!" He stomped into the room, causing the General to cover his ears and let out a groan.

"You know, coming into my office without permission wasn't cute when you were fifteen, it's not cute now. How hard is it to knock?" Sarcastically, Edward knocked on the solid surface of the desk, causing Roy to sit up abruptly and inhale slowly. Another pounding sound hit his sensitive ears as Ed dropped his files with a loud flop on the desk before cleaning his face off on his sleeve.

"You're not looking so well, I expected you to be your typical cocky self after last night." Some of the evening came back and Mustang recalled that his entire staff had been there along with Ed and Winry. It made him wonder how drunk he'd gotten in front of everyone. Judging by the smirk on Edward's face and how much he couldn't remember, he must have been pretty wasted.

"Why are you here anyway," he changed the subject quickly.

"Well, we've got the alchemy tests coming up in four days so I wanted you to look over the exam to see what you thought?" Roy arched a brow in response.

"That's what you're here for? The reason I thought you could handle this job was because I figured I wouldn't have to hold your hand the whole way." Edward frowned and crossed his arms over his uniform.

"Look,I was told I needed it approved by a higher ranking State Alchemist. Sorry if I've interrupted your nap."

"Well as flattered as I am that you thought about me, I've gotta catch a train this afternoon. Sorry." Edward grimaced, letting out low grumble from the back of his throat that made the General want to cover his ears.

"But there's no one else around. Armstrong and you were the only two I could think of and he's up north." An idea sparked in Mustang's aching head that brought a grim smile to his face. Edward had a feeling he wasn't going to like what this smile meant.

"Alright, I'll help you out, however you're gonna do me a favor too." Leaning forward, he placed his head on his hand. "I was just told I have to head up north for an inspection and you can come along." Edward quietly picked up his stack of papers quietkly and turned to leave.

"Not happening, I'll go hunt down someone else."

"I never gave you the option. This is an order, Elric." Ed furrowed his brow and turned back to send a glare in the General's direction.

"That's not fair."

"Yeah I know but if I have to go, someone else might as well be inconvenienced too."

"It's not about inconvenience. Bad things happen up north." Edward's tone was serious now.

"Now that sounds morbid. You're starting to sound superstitious."

"It's not just my opinion. You can ask anyone who's been up there. People disappear and stuff like that."

"No one's disappearing. Go get packed, we're leaving at sixteen hundred hours."

A/N-Alright I decided not to make the reviewers suffer too long for the next chapter. (I would not be good at a hostage situation, I guess) But if you review you get chapters faster and better...and now a review will get you a free car...ride. You just have to come to where I live. :) If you haven't read Darkness Within and are wondering people's relationships, Roy and Riza are now married as are Ed and Winry and they already have a son. Figured I should explain that. Yaoi fans are now sad, sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

_"No ones' disappearing. Go get packed, we're leaving at sixteen hundred hours."_

Chapter Three-Cold

White flakes drifted in through the broken rear window, coating everything they touched. It's soft looking texture and slow dance to the ground concealed it's dangerous intentions. The degrees was dropping noticeably now as the sky darkened. The west side of the mountain was quiet. A serene picture of nature's beauty as dusk began taking over. And considering how much snow was falling, it wouldn't be long before the one object that was out of place, would be covered. By the first rays of sunlight, the car would no doubt be completely concealed. The stillness around the crashed vehicle made it all the more real that no one was coming. No one even knew they were here and by morning it would become all the more impossible to find them. This fact made it difficult to stay calm however after facing death so many times in war and otherwise, General Mustang had not given up just yet. Perhaps someone would drive up the pass that he so recently destroyed and see the car off to the side or at least the tire tracks that indicated where they swerved off. Of course he also knew that time was ticking and soon there would be no tracks. He tried to open the door only to find it frozen. He would have to get his other arm free but as much as he struggled, his shoulder was still pinned. There was of course always the unlikely event that the tree could miraculously pull back and release him from it's hold. The idea made him sigh heavily. Highly unlikely. He was an alchemist after all and knew the laws of the world quite well. He couldn't even bring his hands together in order to dissolve the metal prison around them. Trying to think around the headache claiming his logic coming up with a plan seemed an even larger challenge. Glancing back, he confirmed his arm was not only pinned at the shoulder but was twisted backwards, pressed between the seat and large stump that was occupying the tight surroundings.

Letting out another tired sigh, he realized that even if he could get free, he wouldn't be able to lift Edward, considering his injuries. As much as he tried to get him to wake up, there had been no response. Although he really didn't have any medical experience, he assumed it had to do with that hit he took to the head. As much as he thought Edward was so hard headed, he also knew how easily he tended to overdue things and get injured. But this seemed different. The lack of his ranting away at the situation made his condition something to be concerned about. A shiver ran it's course through the General's body, agitating his own condition. The pain coming from his ribs was enough to stop his breath. The small puffs came out stifled now as he had to concentrate on breathing normal. Deciding he needed to remain still, he realized that was going to be difficult due to the temperature dropping. If only Ed would wake up, maybe he could get out and go for help. Of course he also wasn't sure how much further down the mountain the next town was. They were definitely too far away from Northern Command right now.

The cold seemed to go all the way down to General Mustang's core. In a feeble attempt to stay warm, he brought his coat tighter around his midsection, hissing from the pain that accompanied the movement. He wished the pain would subside even a little from the cold, but as numb as he felt, he could still feel the dull throbbing in his side. The constant discomfort cause him to break out in a cold sweat which only made him feel even more miserable. The wind howled outside, coming in through the back window. Just when he thought it couldn't get any colder, the wind managed to prove him wrong. The frame around them shifted from the sudden gust causing the crushed vehicle to creak in response. It was loud enough that he held his breath in. He didn't think the car could move however the way it rocked back and forth made him worried. After everything settled again, he slowly released his breath. This predicament was so abnormal, he wasn't sure what to expect next. Perhaps an abominable snowman would appear and save the day. After everything he had seen in his life, nothing would surprise him. A slight shifting in the uncomfortable seat caused his side to throb louder and he could feel the warm blood sliding down his side, soaking his uniform even more. He brought his free hand over, clutching the injury and growling at the intensified pain as he applied more pressure to it. Guilt plagued his mind, in the silence around him, There was no distraction here other then pain and he knew the obvious accusation would eventually surface from his thoughts.

'_This whole thing is your fault. It would be one thing if you had come alone, but you dragged Edward into it as well, out of spite and now you both might die and no one will know. They may never even find your bodies.' _The thought was like a vice, gripping him by the chest and crushing him. He had to remind himself to breath. Ed had a family, hell he had a family now and if they didn't make it back what would happen to the people they held so close to them. He couldn't help but smile at the irony. Perhaps this was what he deserved all along. For his sins on the battlefield. Even though he had made sure there would never be another Flame Alchemist after him, perhaps this was just the world's way of saying that he shouldn't even be trusted with such a powerful weapon. That this was the world's way of getting rid of him completely. '_It's just like what happened to Hughes all over again. You got someone else involved and now they're paying with their life.'_ Although no one would ever replace Hughes, over the past couple of years, he and Ed had gotten closer. Once the kid stopped acting like a kid and settled down, he was actually someone that Roy didn't mind spending time with. And where Hughes had been lacking in knowledge of alchemy, Ed made up for. He found himself smiling again, thinking of his old friend. Even though he managed to get more work done with Ed around, he would admit and only to himself that he missed the interruptions, where Maes would proudly proclaim his love for his daughter and wife. To a degree now, he actually understood it more since Riza and he had been married for well over a year. He dragged his onyx gaze back over to the driver's side of the vehicle. Ed's breath was coming out in small puffs indicating his breathing had become shallow. Worry worked it's way up from the pit that had been forming in Roy's stomach and choked him by the throat. He had to think. Had to keep fighting. Had to figure this out.

'_I can't just let us die! Not like this!'_

A/N-Now reviews not only come with a faster update but a free puppy...that talks...he says roof...a lot. Still pretty cool and you should review :)_  
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	4. Chapter 4

A/N-due to the high volume of (hah like I'd ever get that many reviews, aw now I made myself sad:( -see) ::ahem:: reviews I am out of puppies. How about a genuine thanks for the reviews they really make the hard days at work brighter. And when you make a fanfic writer happy, you are saving dreams. (see so much better then a puppy, they slobber and you have to house break them, a genuine thank you may not buy much...but neither will a puppy.)

_'I can't just let us die! Not like this!'_

Chapter Four-Worry

At least when Edward Elric was sulking, he was quiet. The train car was pretty silent as well, other then the sound of the tracks below. Even so, it was enough peace for the Flame alchemist to settle in his seat and close his eyes. His head wasn't aching the way it had been that morning. Any other symptoms he had from his reckless drinking the night before were bearable. An annoyed grunt from across the way caused him to reopen his eyes. He could almost feel the fiery blaze behind the amber glare he was receiving. The blond across the way was slouching as much as physically possible, arms crossed over his chest. He was pissed and Roy just didn't have it in him to care.

"So you gonna sulk the whole way there?" The Major shifted his gaze towards the window, muttering under his breath.

"I hate you...stupid bastard." As much as he tried to remind himself of everything the General had done for him, he was really dreading this trip. He hated the cold and the last time he was up north did not end on a good note. It was fair to say he never wanted to go back. To just avoid it for the rest of his life.

Winry seemed to handle the news of the sudden trip better then he had. She switched out his automail in no time at all before he was even packed. Considering how much he groaned about the trip the entire time he was packing, he was surprised she didn't smack him.

"It's not gonna be that bad," she expressed while staring down at their toddler as she held him in her lap.

"Sure, easy for you to say. You don't have to be stuck with Mustang the whole time." He lazily tossed his clothes into his suitcase, not caring what kind of condition he would find them in later.

"You know, you've always made such a stink about him but he's always nice to me. I think you're just imagining all his character faults." She finally looked up to see the shocked look on his face as he stared at her in awe with his mouth hanging open.

"Seriously, how can you miss them all," he brought his pointer finger up. "First, he's _such_ a womanizer, which brings us to reason number two, he's manipulative and that's _why_ he's such a womanizer. Everything he does has a reason, some darker purpose that_ he_ benefits from." Ed seemed exasperated from explaining the whole thing.

"But he's married now and I haven't seen him flirt with anyone since then."

"Anyone married to Lt. Hawkeye wouldn't dare flirt with anyone else, unless they had a death wish." Winry pulled a piece of her hair away from their son as he tried to tug on it.

"Even so, if he's so manipulative then that means you were manipulated into going on this trip?" She couldn't help but smile at the point she was making. Edward frowned at her implication.

"Noo, it was an order, I didn't have a choice."

"But technically you're no longer under his direct supervision, correct? So you didn't really have to agree to go."

"Yes I did. He's still a higher ranking officer." She loved how easy it was to make him flustered.

"Are you sure it's not cause you're worried about him, you know since he and Riza are expecting?" Opening his mouth with a quick answer Ed realized he didn't have one. Finally he just glanced away, annoyed at the fact that there was some truth to what she was saying. She really could read him like a book sometimes. It didn't help that he wasn't very good at keeping secrets from her.

"Daddy mad," the question came out in a tiny voice, bringing Winry's attention back down to Van.

"No, mommys' just really smart." The small blond boy smiled back at her with a laugh, as though they were sharing a joke at Ed's expense.

"Mommy smart. Smart."

"Aw, he learned a new word," Winry praised.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself."

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you're not worried." Edward sighed heavily, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"Things up there are different. Dangerous. I just don't think he knows what he's getting into, that's all."

"And you would be upset if anything happened to him. Riiight?" She had that sing song tone to her voice that drove him crazy. He twisted his mouth to the side, knowing he didn't have the time to argue properly with her about his motives.

"I wouldn't be upset, just don't want to feel guilty if anything did happen to him." It was so clear he was just trying to resolve the conversation. Deciding not to slam his suitcase closed due to the small child in the room, he stalked out into the living room. Winry followed him, still carrying Van with her. Placing his luggage down, he grabbed his heavier military trench with white fur on the collar. The familiar winter coat brought up Winry's next inquiry about the trip.

"So do you think you'll see Miss Olivier while you're up there?" The mention of the General's name caused Ed to shiver.

"Hopefully not. She's so scary." He brought his hands around himself as though he needed to feel comforted. There was a loud knock at the door that caught their attention. Ed yanked the door open, knowing who it was already. Roy took the blond in for a second before his mouth pulled into an even deeper frown.

"Major Elric, is there some reason you're _not_ in uniform?" Edward returned the unpleasant scowl before replying.

"If I'm gonna be stuck on a train with you for hundreds of hours, I might as well be comfortable."

"In that case, are you sure you don't want to go change into your pajamas? It's okay, I'm sure the train will wait." The sarcastic response only got the General an even angrier glare. Lucky for him, Ed's short fuze and death glares had lost their affect long ago. Over the years he had built up an immunity to it and the dirty looks just bounced off, leaving him unscathed. Running a frustrated gloved hand through his dark hair, Mustang was just not in the mood for this. The constant pounding in his head made it difficult to think straight let alone get into a fight with Ed. His sharp comment was his best and last attempt to annoy the blond that stood before him. "Let's just get going," he finally huffed out.

"Whatever." Edward turned back to Winry and gave her a quick kiss, not wanting to make a scene in front of the Flame alchemist. "I'll call you later. That is if this hostage situation permits me to use the phone." He glanced back at the General, his voice coming out in an annoying and flat tone.

"You'll be fine," Winry smiled up at him, encouragingly. Ed leaned down and took Van from her, kissing his cheek. Loud giggles erupted from the toddler and he turned his face away.

"Eeewww, Daddy." The child's squirming brought a grin to Edward's face as he hugged his son.

"You're gonna be in charge while I'm gone, okay? So take care of mommy, I'll be home in a couple of days, Van." Since Hohenheim completely ignored Ed when he was little on the day he left home, he felt it was important to explain things to his son, even if the two year old probably didn't understand. He didn't care, it was important to him.

"Okay, Daddy." Van hugged him even more. Finally Ed let him go, placing him down carefully and picked up his luggage. "Hi Roy!" Van stared up at Mustang, bringing a smile even to his face.

"Come on, let's get this over with," Edward muttered as he walked around Van to accompany the General.

"Bye Van, we'll see you later." Roy waved back.

"Bye bye Roy, bye bye Daddy." Winry picked him up, getting ready to close the door as the two military men walked away.

"Edward, please be careful," she hollered to his backside, receiving a nod in response.

A/N-now reviewers will get...I don't know...the first person to review with a random name I'll use it in one of the next chapters for a side character. (yes that's right, I'm whoring my story out. It's a sad day, right.) even if you're not the first person to review on this chapter, I'm sure I have plenty of side characters that will need names. I love reviews that much.


	5. Chapter 5

_"Edward, please be careful," she hollered to his backside, receiving a nod in response._

Chapter Five-Panic

The cold was starting to get to him. Mustang's eyelids started to feel heavy and he began to lean on his injured side more despite the pain he felt. It didn't seem like a long time before he heard a faint groan nearby and his subconscious pushed him to wake up. Movement from the driver's side of the car grabbed his attention and for the first time in this whole mess, he felt relief come over him as Edward brought his hand up to his face.

"Ed, you're alright." The blond found the General's tone surprisingly happy for his well being. He squinted over just as his mind registered how cold he was.

"Yeah, why wouldn't..." His voice trailed off when he got a better look at Mustang's pained expression and where they were. "Oh no, we're still here?" His reflexes kicked in and a surge of adrenaline hit his system way too fast. He immediately turned to open his door, only to find it frozen solid even when he slammed his shoulder into it. Trying to put more weight into it, his actions were halted when a wave of pain shot up his real leg. Glancing down, his eyes widened to see the piece of metal puncturing his thigh several inches above his knee. Moving had aggravated it just enough to cause it to start bleeding again. Instinctively he gripped at the injury, finding that there was no way to get enough pressure on it from his current position. His breath started coming out in quick little puffs as he grit his teeth and started to tremble. "We...we have to get out of here." Despite the sudden realization of how bad this was, his arms felt too heavy to move and he felt like he was thinking through mud. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as if that would help him figure this out. "We have to get out of here." He muttered it again only this time it came out a little louder.

"I've already tried but I can't move." Edward turned back to Roy, the fear evident in his amber gaze. He noticed how the General was pinned and immediately tried to get his arm free.

"Grrr, there's no point Ed, it's not gonna work!" He really didn't want to yell at the Major but his sudden desire to help free him just brought more pain. More then he could handle. "Stop, stop..." Edward paused in his efforts. Even if he did manage to get his shoulder loose, his wrist was also pinned.

"But we can't just stay here..." Although he wasn't claustrophobic, Edward could practically feel the metal frame closing in on them. It would become their coffin if they didn't get out and he was not dying in a deserted place like this. But he couldn't come up with a solution and that scared him more then anything. The grimness of everything was hitting him at once and his head had taken one too many slams in the crash to think rationally right now. He tried to door again in another wasted attempt. It was still frozen, keeping him captive.

"You already tried that," Roy pointed out dryly and it just made Edward angrier.

"Shut up, dammit!" He twisted the other way, glancing in the back seat for anything that could help them. It was empty. He turned again, noticing his automail was wedged between the seat and crushed in front. That was it, he could use that for leverage, push the seat back just enough and get loose and...but it was the northern automail. The carbon it was made of wasn't strong enough. His hands finally rested on the steering wheel as he leaned his forehead on it as well. His breathing seemed sporadic as the realization hit him. "So that's it?...That can't be it. We're missing something." He shivered even more, his body doing everything it could in order to keep alive. Without alchemy he was just a normal human, incapable of saving himself or anyone else.

"I'm sorry bout all this," Roy's voice came out in a low tone, void of the arrogance it usually carried. The slightest bit of warmth reached Ed's eyes, blurring his vision. He would normally fight the urge, however in this place, the reasoning was gone. It was silent for several seconds and just when Roy thought Edward had just accepted their fate, the blond slammed his fists against the wheel.

"You think that's good enough? That some pathetic apology is going to make this better?" He forced his eyes shut as he yelled in response, leaving the General shocked. Edward brought his head up and practically pointed his finger in Mustang's face. "Of everyone I've known you were always the last one I'd expect to just give up. Dying is _not_ an option here, get it?" Where ever Ed had mustered up his energy from, seemed enough to even get Roy fired up.

"So you think this is easy for me? I'd like to pride myself on the fact that I've been through several life or death situations, more then you ever had, and made it out just fine! I don't need you schooling me on when I can give up!" His dark steady gaze revealed his determination. Edward concealed the faint grin that tried to surface. Roy wasn't sure if Ed was just getting him fired up in order to save his life or if this was how he truly felt. The blond leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. As fired up as he'd gotten, his temper was starting to simmer, leaving him some what drained.

"Good to know, cause I'm not dying before you do, got that?" The Flame alchemist let out a weak laugh that hurt his injured side.

"Don't assume I'm that weak, I don't die so easily."

"Great, cause if you do die before I get out of here, I'm leaving your sorry ass behind."

"Aw that's sweet, thanks."

"Shut up, I hate you, remember," Edward snapped, refusing to even glance over at Roy.

"How can I forget?" General Mustang cringed as the smallest movement on his part caused the same nagging pain to return to his side. "So, Major Elric," his voice came out labored and his breathing shallow but at the same time he managed to have a sarcastic quality to his tone. "You got a plan to get us out of here?" Ed stared out the frosted glass at the ever dimming world around them.

"Tch, never said that, I'm just not giving up so easily. Despite what you might think, I've been in some pretty bad situations too." He really didn't have to remind Roy of that fact. The older man knew what lengths Ed was willing to go to for his family. Of course even if he could sacrifice his own arm now, it would do them little good.

"Well then, how can you be sure..." Mustang stopped short when Edward's head whipped around and he narrowed his gaze. Even with the light fading in the background, Roy could still make out the tired look on the lower ranking officer's face.

"I promised Van I'd be back, and I intend to keep that promise," he stated through gritted teeth.

A/N-alright, alright, I know this chapter seemed a little small. ::giggle:: (short joke) Ahem, anyway this time reviewers will receive Youtube credits that could one day be worth something. This is available of course only if you've ever posted a video on said website. Of course I don't know what makes you more of a geek, posting countless vids on Youtube, or writing fanfics and begging for reviews...Can they come after me for using their name twice on here. Or is that free advertisement for them? Whilst I figure that all out, review and get the next chapter faster. Hurry, hurry!


	6. Chapter 6

_"I promised Van I'd be back, and I intend to keep that promise," he stated through gritted teeth._

Chapter Six-Sleeping arrangements

"Aw hell no," The blond furrowed his brow, frowning deeply from where he stood in the doorway. The object of his disdain was the tiny living quarters that belonged to the General and him for the duration of their stay.

"Well if the two of you don't need anything else, General Armstrong will see you in the morning," Lt. Andrew Kinstrel explained to the Flame alchemist instead of the fuming Major. The lieutenant had been the one that greeted them at the train station. They had arrived so late in the evening, Andrew had orders to bring them to the dorms immediately. Unfortunately there weren't many options and the only room available was this one. Normally Ed wasn't overly fussy about where he slept as long as it was warm enough, however sharing that place with Roy was not going to work.

"There's only one bed." Edward pointed at the single full size bed against the far wall. That was enough to get Roy's attention and he peered in to confirm this fact.

"So Lieutenant, do you have anything else that would work? I am a General after all. Don't you have rooms for the higher ups?" Lt. Kinstrel shook his head resolutely.

"Sorry but this is it. Northern Command just had to put up several civilians in the dorms due to a fire last week in Los Claire. Maybe by tomorrow evening we can have something else but this is all we've got for tonight." Mustang's mouth pulled to the side as he glanced back at the single bed.

"Alright, I suppose it'll do for one night."

"Yes sir." The Lieutenant left the two of them standing in the hallway. Roy turned to immediately catch the look he was receiving from Edward.

"What do you want from me. It can't be helped." He entered the room and flicked on the light.

"Yeah you're right, I should be so lucky to get to share a room with a General. But this has to be tough for you, I mean they didn't even leave a mint on your pillow." Mustang found himself slouching as he shrugged off his coat. He was tired from the trip here and really didn't need Ed's sarcasm right now.

"Can you quit being soo difficult for two minutes of your life. What do you think this does for my reputation? Really."

"Hah, now you worry about something like that? I can hear the rumors already that I'm trying to sleep my way up the ranks." Roy just sighed as he narrowed his tired eyes.

"Just go to sleep."

"You just stay on your side and I will." Edward took off his boots and got under the covers not even taking his coat off. Concluding that he was too worn out from the day, Roy didn't bother inquiring any further into Ed's actions as he finished getting ready for bed. He had only been in bed for a couple of minutes when he realized why Ed decided not to change. Even being under the covers, the General noticed how cold he was. Trying to pull more at the blankets he noticed Ed had well more then his half. Deciding he would rather face the blond's wrath then deal with the cold, he took a firm hold of the corner and yanked as hard as he could, successfully getting most of the blanket back. Surprised it was that easy, he glanced over to see Ed was already out. Moving onto his side, Roy got comfortable and closed his eyes.

If he was lucky they could get the inspection over before the middle of the day. Hopefully bringing Ed along would speed things up and not slow the process down. Two pairs of eyes are always better then one. Although this was a simple mission, something about it bothered him. He couldn't understand why he was brought up here. Armstrong was more then capable of handling this problem. As much as he wanted to believe that this was just General Hakuro pissing him off, there seemed more to it then that. So until they were headed back home, he had to be on his guard.

There was a soft snore behind him and he decided that he just wanted to shut his mind off and go to sleep. Of course the snore that had inspired this pleasant thought also had a potential to keep him from sleeping. After so long, he elbowed Ed in the side and the snoring stopped, leaving the room silent and allowing the General to drift off.

oOoOo

Something in his mind alerted him the next morning that it was time to wake up. Glancing at the clock he realized it was still pretty early. The previous day seemed like nothing more then a bad dream. Thinking more about it Roy concluded that the whole thing was so unlikely. Rolling over, he smiled at the blond next to him and moved closer.

"Hey are you awake, Riza?" It was perfectly normal for his wife to sleep with her back to him, she never really was the kind to snuggle. There was no answer so he leaned more into the long golden strands. "So I was thinking, since it's still early..." There was an abrupt movement as the blanket was tossed back and the other occupant of the bed rushed out despite the coldness of the room. Roy yanked at the cover that had been thrown over his face. "What the hell...," he paused to see Edward standing there, his fists clenched at his sides and his face slightly red.

"I'm_ not_ Hawkeye. Got it?" Reality smacked Mustang in the face.

_'So it wasn't all a dream,' _he told himself. Although the drastic difference in temperature should have been an obvious hint.

"Sorry bout that, just forgot." Edward let out a huff through his nose.

"Fine, whatever. I'm gonna take a shower since I'm awake now." The somewhat calmed Major retrieved a clean uniform from his luggage and headed for the bathroom. Before he shut the door, he turned back to the General. "And you better not follow me."

oOoOo

"Yes, I know. Uh huh. We'll be there within the hour." Edward could hear Roy speaking on the phone when he came out of the bathroom. There was a break in his serious tone as he let out a laugh. "I don't get it either. Right." Ed continued to dry his hair with a towel as he glanced over the paper work laying on the nearby table. "Alright, we'll see you then General, thanks." The Flame alchemist got off the phone and noticed Ed out of the corner of his eye. Holding the one page close to his face, he arched his eyebrow and seemed to be frowning.

"So why exactly did they need _you_ to come all the way up here? I mean investigations could have handle it just fine. Why'd they need a General from Central?"

"It doesn't make any sense to me either. Hopefully if everything goes as I plan, we'll be on our way back to Central before the end of the day."

"Hopefully." There was a low growl that interrupted the conversation that made Roy's mouth pull into half a grin.

"Guess we'd better stop for breakfast on the way, huh?" Ed blinked back at him.

"Were we not planning on it?"

A/N-This time reviewer's will receive cookies by mail for their reviews. (may take 5 to 7 business days however)


	7. Chapter 7

_"Were we not planning on it?"_

Chapter Seven-Deadly Silence

How much time had gone by? An hour, maybe two. It was hard to tell once the sun had set for the day. And as denial started to give way to acceptance, the two hostages of the wrecked car found it more and more difficult to stay awake. The thought of sleep was so tempting. Sleep meant going somewhere warm, somewhere that the pain couldn't follow. But sleep also meant death. It was heavy in the air around them, hovering nearby, waiting for the opportunity to close in. All the desperation and stubbornness in the world could not hold death back forever. Struggling just seemed like wasted effort now. The Major glanced over at the General, burying his chin more against the collar of his coat. His voice came out weak and muffled against the white fur.

"Hey, you're not dead yet are you?" Roy let out a short breath through his mouth before squinting over at him.

"No, not yet." It had become so dark that he couldn't even see Ed from where he was. "And you?"

"What? Do you think you're talking to a ghost? Not likely." Edward would have a sharp tongue until the day he died. But his tone was lacking his normal confident determination. A gust of wind blew through again however the two occupants of the car were too numb by now to notice. Death seemed to creep in a little closer as they're conversation quieted down. "We have to keep talking, okay?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Roy's head was feeling more and more heavy as he tried to lean back against the seat.

"I don't know. Why do you think you were set up like this?" A small laugh pushed from Roy's chest, barely making it out of his mouth.

"Isn't it obvious? It's cause I'm so attractive." Edward blinked in surprise and returned the laugh.

"You're such a bastard. No, seriously."

"What does it matter? Whatever the reason, it worked didn't it? If they wanted me out of the way, their plan succeeded." Edward sighed inwardly.

"There you go again, giving up. Quit it or I'll never forgive you for dragging me along." Although Roy didn't particularly like Ed's efforts to keep him alive, he couldn't help but notice how tired the Major sounded. He really didn't care too much about himself however he wasn't about to let Ed die.

"You don't exactly sound as fired up as you were before either. So don't think I'm going to let you give in either and leave me to feel guilty." The two of them would keep going around and around like this if for nothing else then to keep pushing each other.

"Hah, I don't quit as easily as you do."

"I never said I was quitting." They both got quiet again and Roy searched his thoughts, trying to come up with another topic.

"So what was Van's first word?"

"What?" The blond's worn out gaze shifted even though he couldn't see anything.

"You heard me. What did he say first?" The silence returned for several seconds before Ed responded.

"He called Winry Dada." Laughter erupted from the passenger side of the car as Roy tried to hold his side in an effort to keep still.

"I'm sure she loved that."

"Well it took us forever to explain that he should be calling me that instead. For a while there he called both of us Dada." Roy found his thoughts wondering again from the conversation. Edward didn't really brag too often about Van, usually he kept the toddler's cute moments to himself.

"So you were serious when you made that promise to him weren't you?"

"Well this is the first time I've been away for more then an eight hour shift, so yes." The blond let out a sigh. He'd already noticed that his own breathing had become shallow. His lungs didn't want to take in the frigid air while his mind begged for the much needed oxygen. "To be honest, I never wanted to leave. I figured that taking a job in Central would mean I got to stay put." He drew out the last three words indicating a slight annoyance on his part.

"You could have said no to this. It's not like you're under me anymore."

"I know that."

"So why'd you come then? Just to drive me crazy the whole time with your sarcastic remarks and obnoxious glares?"

"You really think I care that much about annoying you? Please."

"Then what? What was so important that you were willing to leave?" There was no answer as Ed took in several short breaths. He almost sounded like he was hyperventilating.

"Tell you what, we survive this, and I'll tell you."

"That's not very fair."

"Don't really care if you think it's fair."

"And what if I survive and you don't?"

"Well considering you got me into this mess, then I guess you'd better make sure we both get out of this alive."

"I could set the car on fire." Even though there was no humor to his tone, Ed knew Roy would never do something so stupid.

"As cold as I am now, I'd rather freeze to death then fry. Thank you."

"Thought you said we're getting out of this."

"We are, stop taking every thing I say so literal." There was a heavy sigh in response from the other side of the car. Roy knew that Ed was just trying to preoccupied him by keeping the conversation going, but his mind was too fatigued to continue talking. He noticed that he was no longer shivering from the cold which meant his body was no longer trying to stay warm. The writing was on the wall and he knew they wouldn't make it till morning. There was nothing he could do. Although he jokingly said he could set the car on fire, his glove had taken too much damage, preventing him from doing anything. He hated feeling so useless but it was even worse when it involved someone else. Speaking of which, Ed hadn't said anything for a while now, causing him to worry.

"Fine, I won't listen to anything you say from now on. Alright?" The silence was so deafening as it rang in his ears. The only sound he could make out was a faint movement of Ed's breathing. "Edward! Wake up! Come on, you can't give in yet?" Death crept in a little closer, so close that he could feel the pressure in the air around him. "Ed, open you're eyes! You have to make it! What about your promise?"

"Guh...Mmm?" Edward blinked several times, drifting in and out of consciousness. "My head really hurts," he admitted, leaning back against the seat.

"It'll be okay, you just have to hang in there for a little longer, okay?" The General's tone had a definite panicked quality to it.

"I...just...just gotta rest for...for a minute."

"Ed, don't!"

A/N-Soo I ran out of things to offer, but would still like reviews. You could just write them out of the kindness in your heart. :)


	8. Chapter 8

_"I...just...just gotta rest for...for a minute."_

_"Ed, don't!"_

Chapter Eight- Concern

Riza's eyes glazed over as she stared at the form in front of her for the hundredth time. To say she was unable to focus on her work was an understatement. Her gaze shifted back to the General's closed door while she absentmindedly chewed the end of her pen. She had always been considered a loyal soldier however that didn't mean that she didn't make her own observations and opinions about things. General Hakuro never called Roy so the fact that he was now, bothered her. He had never been very fond of her husband, that he had made very clear. The other General followed the former Furer whole heartedly so the fact that he didn't like Mustang wasn't so surprising. Trying not to let her curiosity disturb her work any more then it was, she brought her attention back to the paper on her desk.

A sudden commotion broke her concentration once more as the General's door was opened then immediately slammed closed. Major Elric exited the office, shoulders hunched forward with his hands in his pockets and his typical scowl on his face.

"Everything okay, Major?" Riza had that flat quality to her tone that implied he needed to tread lighter. He immediately turned to her, bringing his angry gaze in her direction. Edward Elric had always been a force to be reckoned with, ever since she had first met him. And even though he had settled some over the past years, he was still just as volatile as always. The spark ever present in his glare was proof enough as he leaned over her desk. But despite his demeanor, hers was just as unpredictable and taking the announcement from the night before into consideration, he let a heavy breath out through his nose. The lieutenant was one person he'd never go up against, pregnant or not. He wouldn't put it past her to shoot him especially since she had once considered shooting Mustang. Although that hadn't really come up recently due to the change in their relationship. But that had only made her all the more devoted to the General so blaming him for the current predicament would not work to the Major's benefit. So he would try another tactic instead by getting her to side with him.

"Did you know they're making him go up to Northern Command on an inspection? Today?" Hawkeye's gaze widened in surprise. Worry crept even more into her features as she bit her bottom lip. Her reaction made Ed more cautious, unsure how she would react now. He had dealt with Winry when she had been pregnant and that was no picnic. One minute she would be yelling at him for moving her screwdriver and the next she was crying because she yelled at him. Finally Riza brought her dark gaze up to meet his.

"You have to go with him," she concluded.

"What?" It was not the reaction he was expecting. He leaned back, feeling uneasy now.

"Please, Ed. I can't go with him and he needs someone to watch his back." He continued to stare in shock at her before he finally sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"He already told me I was going," he stated, folding his arms and shifting his gaze back at the office door. The lieutenant seemed to relax when he said that.

"Thank you, Edward." He glance back at her, mouth still pulled down in a deep frown. He pointed a gloved finger in her direction.

"Let's get one thing straight, I'm not doing this for him, I'll do it for you, okay." She smiled back at him before he awkwardly turned and headed for the exit. Riza quietly rose from her seat and headed for the General's office. As she closed the door as careful as possible in order not to make too much noise, she noticed Roy still grimaced at the sound.

"Are you okay, Sir?" He let out a groan in response.

"No, I feel like crap." His demeanor made this statement all the more obvious as he continued to lean forward on his desk.

"Edward told me about the trip." Mustang continued to cover his face, rubbing his temples and sighing to himself.

"Well at least he saved me the trouble of telling you myself." He leaned forward on his palms as she came further into the room. He knew she wasn't going to try to talk him out of this. She knew he had little options in the decision anyway.

"Just be careful, Sir." He sat up just enough to look over at her. To the untrained eye it was a simple statement but between the two of them, it meant so much more. She was worried and not just the kind of worry a soldier had for their superior or even a wife for her husband. It was a worry that went much deeper. Concern for an unknown motive or a danger that was lurking just below the surface. He knew what he needed to do although the logical part of his mind was warning him not to go through with it. Despite the way his stomach clenched at the movement, he rose to his feet and walked over to her. Leaning his forehead against hers a faint glimpse of a smile graced his lips as he brought his arms around her.

"Everything is going to be fine. I'll be home before you know it. This is just Hakuro trying to get out of going himself." She nodded back, bringing her face down so that he couldn't see the concern that was still present. After staying like this for longer then what was professional, she backed away as did Roy. She brought her dark gaze up to meet his, a mask of professionalism back in place.

"I hope you have a good trip, Sir." The already present smile pulled even more at the corners of his mouth. She had always been good at covering up her emotions.

"Thanks," he replied, almost sounding relieved. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I have to throw up." As though it was a normal thing, he turned and reached for the trashcan nearby. Riza found her mask slipping again as she shook her head in disbelief. Only Roy could manage to act so compose even right before being sick.

oOoOo

That had been two days ago. Riza was now sitting in their living room, staring out at the city. Her mind had wondered once more, curious as to how things were going with the investigation. Roy had only called when they reached their destination but there had been no word since. Normally the sight of Central lit up at night was a soothing picture to witness however she just couldn't shake this feeling that something had gone wrong. The sun had set several hours ago and even if it was getting late, she knew the worry would just keep her awake. There was a soft moan that brought her back to reality. Glancing down, she noticed Black Hiyate staring up at her. Patting him on the head, he rested his chin on her lap. She looked down at the book she had been trying to get through, realizing that she had read the same paragraph several times now.

"Sorry boy, didn't mean to worry you too." He let out a small growl in response just before there was a knock at the front door. The light tapping had caused her heart to race as she moved from her spot. Each step felt heavier then the last as she made her way to the door. The same concern she'd been feeling for two days manifested itself by wrapping around her mid-section and not letting go. It almost made it difficult to breath as she hurriedly unlocked the door. Fury stood on the other side, out in the hallway. The anxious look on his face mirrored her own as he made eye contact with her. He didn't bother saluting her which made the fact that he was there all the more worrisome.

"Lieutenant, there was a call tonight at the Command Center." He held out a piece of paper for her. He appeared troubled to her, which was quite unusual for the normally upbeat Sargent. "Sorry it's so late but I didn't think it was something that should wait till the morning." Ignoring his lack of professionalism, she quickly took the note but wasn't able to read it before he explained it's contents.

"It's General Mustang." Those words brought an even deeper feeling of dread to her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

_"It's General Mustang." Those words brought an even deeper feeling of dread to her mind._

Chapter Nine- Quiet Relief

_Ping...ping..._ The sound gently shook him from his semi conscious state, reminding him to stay awake. To stay alive. _Ping... _He didn't know what he was hearing. Perhaps this was all part of dying, you start loosing your mind first and start hearing things. Dragging his tired gaze to the cracked mirror on his side of the car, he couldn't really see anything outside. There was a faint gleam of red reflecting off the snow. The unnatural light was so out of place that he swore he was hallucinating. _Ping...ping...ping._ What was that noise? Each time it sounded, it was as though it was slamming against the inside of his skull. _Ping...ping._The sound had a unique ring to it as it reverberated softly after making contact with whatever surface it was hitting.

_Ping...ping...ping..._

There was no rhythm to it either as it continued. It sounded like someone throwing rocks but there was not another soul out here. The red light got his attention once again and he came to the only conclusion to it's source.

'_Ed must still have his foot on the brake pedal.'' _It was a pointless thought however he was surprised the lights were even still able to work. Perhaps when the car was completely covered in snow, it would be the only evidence visible.

_Ping..ping...ping..._

The sound was coming from the roof. There was no denying the sound of metal being hit and it was becoming more frequent. Although it was a light sound, in his aching tired mind it sounded louder. More like the sound of a hammer hitting a stubborn nail on his coffin.

_Ping...ping...ping...ping._

He could feel his slow heartbeat pounding in his ears and his chest felt heavy with each attempt to inhale the freezing air. He was going to die. Here, in the middle of nowhere. He would leave Riza a widow and never get to meet their child. Despite his sins, he just didn't think this was fair. He had done so much good in the world but in the end it seemed that none of those things mattered. In the end he would die. As much as he hated feeling useless, this was far worse then anything else he'd ever experienced. He couldn't save himself and he couldn't save Ed, who _he_ forced to come along. First Hughes and then Havoc, now Edward. Perhaps he was doing Riza and his unborn child a favor. They could live a safe life without him screwing it up for them. If that was how things were then he wished death to just hurry up and take him. He wanted these morbid thoughts to cease. There was no point dwelling on this any more but it was all he had left to think about now.  
><em><br>Ping..._

Something hit the broken windshield and the mystery of the obnoxious sound was solved. The simple answer brought an ironic smile to his face. It was hale. It was as cliche as someone saying, 'things could be worse, it could be raining.' He couldn't fight off the exhaustion any longer as he made himself as comfortable as possible, knowing full well that he probably wouldn't wake up again. Unfortunately he just didn't care at this point, he was tired of his own thoughts and although he had always thought he'd die in some blaze of glory, he was content with this now. Everything started to blur together and the soft red glow from behind seemed to be flashing now.

_Ping...ping_

_'Guess the batterys' finally going.' _The constant blinking of red hurt his eyes and he finally closed them, giving into his body's desire for sleep. There was the sound of voices calling to him and he was certain it was simply a dream as he started to slip into blissful sleep. Just as the arms of unconsciousness were about to envelope him in it's permanent embrace, he felt the entire vehicle jolt around him.

"General Mustang! Major Elric!" He knew this particular voice. The passenger side door was liberated from it's frozen state, pulled completely off the crushed vehicle. There was a beam of light that engulfed the insides of the car. He dared not open his eyes but found himself squinting just enough to see what was going on. "Are you alright, General?" Armstrong's large frame took up the entire doorway as he assessed the damages.

"Check Elric first," Mustang breathed out weakly while his mind screamed at him for putting anyone else before his own needs.

"Right." The other alchemist nodded and moved to the other side of the car also removing the driver's door with little effort on his part. Reaching a large hand in, Alex placed two fingers to Edward's neck. "It's hard to tell right now," he finally admitted after a minute or so. Realizing they were both stuck, he knew they would need to pull the car away from the tree before his team could get them out. The Strong Armed alchemist moved behind the vehicle and grabbed hold of the under carriage with both hands. Using every muscle he had, he began to pull the car back up the hill. As soon as Roy had the leverage to do so, he got his arm free and held it close. His wrist was bleeding pretty badly and the movement had caused his side to burn with pain once more. Once Armstrong stopped pulling, he hurried back to the driver's side, to get Ed out first. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think it's been that long," Roy's thoughts were still fuzzy and even feeling relieved that they had been saved, seemed overwhelming.

"Hurry down here with those stretchers and medical equipment," Armstrong hollered over his shoulder. Two paramedics made it down to the wreck and helped Mustang onto one of the stretchers. A soft blanket was placed over him, bringing some warmth. The two strangers disappeared from sight as they rushed back over to help get the driver out. Staring up at the night sky, Roy wondered when it had stopped haling. Perhaps he had just imagined it in the first place. The paramedics kept their voices down as they analyzed the situation. Several more quiet minutes went by before Armstrong came into view. Mustang's mouth twitched slightly as his friend's worried face hovered overhead.

"Why in the world would you be out here without a shirt on?" The other General didn't bother to answer him as he found the lever to raise the stretcher from the ground.

"Sir, we need to get you to the hospital as quickly as possible."

"What about Ed? Is he okay?"

"He'll be in the other ambulance, shortly," he remained focus on getting back up the hill but Roy could tell he was also concerned about Edward. He'd gotten a better look at the Major's condition and hadn't commented on it. An odd reaction for the normally boisterous man. If it had been obvious that Ed was okay, then he would have said so. But he hadn't, leaving Mustang's worry intact. Another paramedic along with Lt. Kinstrel met them at the top of the hill where two ambulances were waiting. With ease, the stretcher was placed in the back of the one. Hoping to find the inside of the ambulance heated, it was just as cold as the rest of the world. The paramedic started to fasten him in before trying to assess any of his injuries. Armstrong seemed to have reached a dilemma now whether or not to stay with Roy or remain here with the other team. The Flame alchemist made the choice simple.

"Stay with Ed. Don't worry about me." The larger man turned to his Lieutenant.

"I need you to accompany General Mustang to the hospital, Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir." Armstrong disappeared from sight and Roy could only assume he went back down to see how things were going back at the crash scene. Kinstrel got into the driver's seat while the paramedic got into the back, closing the doors. The vehicle lurched forward which only made the General feel even more uneasy. He honestly didn't care if he ever drove in a car again after this incident. He brought his gaze down to see the paramedic cleaning and bandaging his one hand. His vision wavered and blackness started coming in from all sides. Once the trained man finished his task, he glanced up to see Roy start to close his eyes.

"Sir, please stay awake till we get there." The tension in the young man's voice revealed that this was important however Roy had already been worn out and now for some reason the exhaustion hit him like a wave. The paramedic noticed a deep red seeping through the blanket and lifted it. "We've gotta hurry," he yelled up to Kinstrel, "He's bleeding pretty badly back here!"

It was the last thing Mustang heard before the bleak world around him went black.


	10. Chapter 10

_"He's bleeding pretty badly back here!" It was the last thing Mustang heard before the bleak world around him went black._

Chapter Ten-Bad News

"I said that's close enough," Edward remained behind Mustang, using him as a barrier. "Besides, it's not professional at all." Roy took two steps to the side, no longer blocking Ed from his inevitable doom. He turned his attention to the General, glaring at him for moving. "You..." A pair of large arms wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground and hugging him tightly.

"Come now, Edward Elric! There's no need to be so formal with an old friend!" General Armstrong's grip seemed to tighten and Ed struggled desperately to get away.

"Okay, okay. Just let me go!" Roy stifled a laugh as the Major was placed down on the floor in a puddle of complete humiliation. "Oh you're a riot!" There was nothing like a hug from a giant like the Strong Armed alchemist to make him feel like a child. And short, which he was proud to proclaim he was no longer. However everyone was short in comparison to Alex. Edward brushed off his black trench and tried to compose himself a little more before Alex's large hand came down on his head. "Great, it's not over," he growled under his breath.

"So tell me, how's that little boy of yours? And Miss Winry? Is she doing well?" Edward jerked backwards, messing up his hair on the way.

"Everyone's doing fine. Now can we just get to business?" The younger man never did have much patience but right now it was paper thin. The Flame alchemist walked over, holding the file he'd been given on the investigation. General Armstrong took a seat at his desk, causing the chair to creak loudly in protest beneath him. Roy and Ed sat on the other side while Roy looked through the folder.

"So I understand that the officers we're looking into knew we were coming," he mentioned and received a nod from the alchemist across the way. "And conveniently there was a fire wiping out any evidence of fowl play."

"Conveniently," Alex confirmed. Ed leaned back, folding his arms behind his head for support.

"I still don't know what the original purpose for an investigation was." Roy tossed several pictures onto the table to get Ed's attention.

"Depends on which allegation you'd like me to start with. We've got a State alchemist along with his cronies breaking practically every rule in the book. Misuse of resources, misuse of power, misuse of funds, communication with Drachma intelligence. It's quite the list."

"So why hasn't this guy been striped of his certification yet?" The Flame alchemist dark gaze shifted back to his colleague across the desk.

"That is an interesting question, isn't it? And what's more interesting is that the Steel Mason alchemist is under General Hakuro. Or at least he was at some point. So why the General dumped me in the middle of something with his own man, I'd like to find out."

"Do you think you'll need any of my men up here?" General Mustang brought his gloved hand to his face, mulling over the offer in his head.

"No, I think we'll be okay. Besides I was only told to question those responsible. I have no intention of turning this into a conflict. I'm sure the Major and I can handle this."

"Are you sure about that?" Ed shifted forward in his seat and let out a sigh. "I've done these investigations before and people don't always respond the best way. Having some extra help might be a good idea."

"That's why I brought you along." Edward slouched more in his chair. He didn't like this situation the more he heard about it. Accusations like these could make even the calmest individual become desperate. Now he understood why the Lieutenant was concerned about the trip. It felt like they were walking into an ambush.

oOoOo

Riza stood outside the heavy oak door of the Elric residence. Normally the military would send someone who didn't know the family in order to make it as impersonal as possible. But she couldn't do that. She couldn't allow someone else to speak with the Major's wife. But as much as she was determined to be here, she found herself at a loss for words. Forget that she was dealing with a wave of emotions herself, now she had to figure out what to say. Straightening her shoulders more, she found her resolve and knocked loudly. The longer she had to wait standing there, the more anxious she felt. Finally Winry answered the door and smiled when she saw that it was the Lieutenant.

"Oh hey Riza, how's it going?" She pulled the door open even more, inviting the older woman in. Without even thinking about it, she entered the apartment. "Have you heard anything from the General," she closed the door before taking a seat on the couch and inviting Riza to join her. "I figured you'd have better luck hearing any news before me since Ed apparently doesn't know how to use a phone." She rolled her eyes at her husbands lack of communication. Riza remained standing, glancing around the room. It seemed oddly quiet and she wondered where the toddler that also resided here was.

"Where's Van?"

"Oh, he's taking a nap." The automail mechanic tilted her head some, wondering why the Lieutenant was there. She normally only visited when Ed was home to give him information. And the fact that she was in uniform meant she was on duty. Suddenly it all came together and Winry's eyes widened with fear. "Wait a second, why are you here? Is everything okay?" Riza looked away from her, trying to stay as professional as possible. She clenched her hands at her sides, trying her best to keep them from trembling.

"Winry," her voice came out shakily. "There was an accident and..." Her eyes started to water and she was loosing her professional demeanor rather quickly. By this point, Winry was back up on her feet, her hands over her mouth and fear evident in her expression.

"Are they okay?" Riza closed her eyes, trying desperately to keep from crying. "Lieutenant! Has there been any news?" The Lieutenant cleared her throat and looked Winry in the eye.

"They don't know anything yet. I'm sorry." Winry's mind was reeling. She couldn't think straight but had to do something, anything. Her first instinct was to head up north but she had to worry about Van first. How would she even tell him about this? He probably wouldn't understand what was going on. Regardless of whether he understood, she couldn't just sit still. As confident as she had always been in Ed's capability of taking care of himself, he wasn't invincible. And she couldn't understand why they didn't know anything. How did they know about the car crash but not how those involved were doing? All these thoughts were going to drive her crazy. She could feel a headache coming on and her heart felt heavy with this news. The air in the room became unbearably thick and she had to forced herself to take in the next breath. As calm as possible she finally turned back to Riza.

"Riza, we have to go. We have to find out if they're okay." The Lieutenant nodded in agreement.


	11. Chapter 11

_"Riza, we have to go. We have to find out if they're okay." The Lieutenant nodded in agreement._

Chapter Eleven-Noise

Carefully the Strong Armed alchemist made it back down the hill. Even though it was freezing out, he was too busy to notice. As he neared the car, he caught sight of the paramedics waiting for him, looking cold. They appeared to be apprehensive and Alex knew it wasn't looking good. Neither one of them had removed the Major from the car.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"He's still trapped. We can't get him out without causing further injury." The General moved quickly, glancing into the driver's side to see what they were talking about. At some point Edward's automail foot went through the floorboard, holding him hostage. His other leg was still held in place by the piece of metal going into it. Once they remove him, it would most likely reopen the wound.

"We'll have to leave his automail behind and make sure we stop the bleeding as soon as possible." Of course the task was easier said then done. Currently, the fact that Edward was unconscious would make things easier however this same fact made his condition something to be concerned about. The General moved in, knowing that his brute strength was the only thing that would do the job. Looking around for the best method though, he hesitated when he realized he had no idea how to unhook the automail. "So do either one of you know anything about automail?"

"No, not really. Couldn't you just disconnect it using alchemy?" Armstrong wasn't sure if that kind of force was necessary and he certainly didn't want to hurt Ed any more then he already was. Of course destroying Winry's work was also something he didn't want to do. However the clock was ticking and considering how long the Major had been exposed to the elements, there was no time to waste. Flexing his arm, he brought it back and slammed it forward into the already damaged frame of the car. Burst of blue alchemy bounced around before the frame bent to his will. A spike shot up, piercing the automail just above Edward's knee. Armstrong released the breath he was holding back. Precision was not always his strongest suit and if he had been off just by an inch or so, it could have made this situation even worse. Quickly the medics stepped in and cut the seat belt still holding Ed to the car. He slumped to the side and would have almost fallen out of the car if they hadn't caught him. Despite how careful they were when removing the piece of metal from his leg, fresh blood started gushing from the deep laceration almost immediately.

"We need to hurry, it's getting late," Alex mentioned as they got Edward on the stretcher. Once he was strapped in, the large alchemist grabbed the end of the stretcher and started up the hill to the ambulance.

oOoOo

The phone rang loudly, cutting through the normal silence of the office. Suddenly the receiver was yanked up, roughly and a gruff voice spoke into it.

"Have you heard anything on the radio."

"They've been keeping it quiet, however there has been some activity. No one is saying anything, but I know something's up. General Armstrong and his Lieutenant left awhile ago."

"I see, just keep your ear to the ground, okay. Marcus is suppose to be watching the hospital, but that doesn't mean he'll get the opportunity to finish the job."

"I understand, sir." The conversation ended in the same abrupt manner it had started in.

oOoOo

It was noisy. Too noisy for anyone to get any sleep. He didn't recognize the voices around him, but he wanted nothing more then for them to stop speaking. Being trapped in the midst of the cacophony of sound reminded him of a different place and time. He thought he had forgotten the deep remorse that seemed to be sitting heavily on his chest now, but it all came back in a wave. That agonizing feeling when he fought against Envy so long ago. That moment he realized the monstrosity was covered in souls. Trapped souls with no body of their own. Souls just like his brother's, that had gone crazy from being separated from their bodies for so long. This feeling could only be described as madness, swirling around in his head as a cloud of confusion. He was having a hard time figuring out what they were saying, the way that they overlapped as they tried to speak over one another. They sounded concerned, worried about someone else's well being and the longer he attempted to listen the more he realized who they were so concerned about. It was him.

Coming to this conclusion, he tried to remember what had happened. He had been with General Mustang and they had gotten into a crash. It all seemed so blurred together but he knew it to be true. His head was pounding and all the alarmed voices made him tense. Suddenly all his anxious panic came to the surface and his entire body started to convulse only making the voices become louder, each one edged with professional worry for the patient. He actually managed to catch several words in the tangled mess that was his comprehension.

"Doctor, is he having a seizure?"

"We have to keep him still." Edward felt an immense amount of pressure around him and found that it just made him panic even more.

"Do you think this has to do with his head injury?"

"It's hard to say. Just make sure he doesn't hurt himself." The sounds around him only made the pain in his head worse, causing him to feel nauseous. With each frantic heartbeat, the headache intensified and he started hyperventilating. This reaction only caused the people around him to speak louder as orders were shouted from doctors and nurses were quick to respond. He tried to shake his head to tell them he was fine but found his neck was immobilized, making the smallest movement impossible. And in his attempt to move, pain unlike any other shot up his spine and into his skull. The heart monitor spiked drastically and one of the nurses turned to the doctor while she tried to hold the patient down.

"Sir, should we sedate him?" The older gentleman shook his head.

"We just have to wait for this spell to pass. I'm very hesitant to give him anything till he's properly diagnosed." Currently their two biggest concerns were the fact that he was still unconscious; which was never good for someone who had been exposed to such cold temperatures. The other was how serious a head injury the Major had sustained. There was no way to confirm how bad it was just yet. They had to wait for the patient to calm down first.

oOoOo

The Steel Mason alchemist sat quietly in his office, the only light coming from the fireplace across the way. The flames danced lazily, sending shadows across the room. Like a predator waiting for it's prey, he remained ever so still except for the light tapping of his fingernails on the solid bronze desktop. He was waiting for news and his patience was about to pay off when the phone rang next to him. This was the second phone call tonight and this time he was quick to answer.

"Yeah, it's Marcus. They were both taken to the military hospital at Northern Command."

"Any idea how they're doing?"

"Not yet. The staff isn't giving out any information about their present condition." The man sitting at the desk was not pleased with this news as his lips curled back in a snarl. If the Flame Alchemist and Major from Central survived the incident from earlier, it would be trouble for him. They were suppose to disappear. No one was suppose to find them and he couldn't help but wonder how his plan had gone a stray.

"I don't want those two reporting back to Central. Understand?" The implications were clear.

"Yes, sir."


	12. Chapter 12

_"I don't want those two reporting back to Central. Understand?" The implications were clear. "Yes, sir."_

Chapter Twelve-Conflict

Edward glanced around the office, hands in his pockets and bored out of his mind. They had been here for over an hour and still no sign of anyone. Lazily he tilted his head as he noted the design of the room. It was clear that the Steel Mason alchemist was new at his trait. One particular thing he had in common with the Major was his specialty in using metal. The entire place was decorated with all sorts of metal from the palladium floors to the ornate copper ceiling with gold transmutation circles etched across it.

"Ugh...," the General also noticed the decorations above his head. "How ridiculous. We get it, you're an alchemist and like your trait. Does it mean you have to make your office soo tacky?" Edward got a better look at the ceiling and scratched his chin.

"I don't know,it's not that bad." Roy glanced over at him, eyebrow arched in amusement.

"Funny, why am I not surprised?" Ed just shrugged. "So do you ever miss it?" Mustang didn't have to elaborate as the Major turned away, not wanting to get into it.

"What do you think?" He walked over to the double door, observing the door handle was also made of the purest gold imaginable. "Well he certainly is confirming the rumors, isn't he? Why do I have the feeling that the military wouldn't pay for all these resources just for an office." Before Roy could comment, the side door heading into the main office opened and a rather large man walked in. Lewis Keeton, the Steel Mason Alchemist seemed unimpressed with his visitors as he regarded General Mustang and then Major Elric. His black hair was sleeked back and his mustache looked equally greasy. He wore several silver rings almost one on each of his fingers and seemed to still be sizing up the two from Central. Behind him stood his own men, each of them towering over him in an intimidating manner. Mustang even had to strain his neck to make eye contact with them. Edward had forgotten how huge people seemed to be up here in the North. It made him feel short and that gave him another reason to not like this alchemist and his men.

"I can assure you that anything in this room the military paid for and it was approved first by the higher ups." The General politely straightened and saluted before glancing over at Ed. The annoyance was evident in his gaze and Edward mimicked his gesture, saluting as well. He hated being so formal especially to someone who was obviously doing stuff he shouldn't be. But perhaps he shouldn't be the one pointing the fingers considering some of the things he got away with when he was a state alchemist. "So General Mustang, what can I help you with?" Roy smiled internally at the pointless question. Keeton knew why they were there, as though Central would just waste his time.

"I've got a direct order here to do an inspection and audit on this office." The Flame alchemist pulled the top sheet from the file under his arm and handed it to the larger man. His expression didn't change as he read over the order form.

"I take it that this has to do with that little fire we had a couple of days ago." Now Roy found himself smirking.

"I don't know if I would call it small. It took out half a block as well as most of your warehouse." He had a suspicious feeling that this whole thing was going to be like pulling teeth. The Steel Mason alchemist was not going to cooperate but make this as drawn out as possible. Too bad Mustang was as stubborn as they come and he wasn't leaving until he was completely satisfied. "So shall we get started? I was hoping to start in the warehouse. See what is salvageable."

"There actually wasn't anything salvageable, so there really isn't any point showing you the warehouse." Edward snorted to himself, holding back a laugh. The noise received the attention of Keeton's two men as they turned and glared in his direction. Never being one that was easily intimidated, the blond returned the glare right back.

"Even so, I'd like to see the damage. If it's a problem, we can always get General Hakuro on the phone." The large man inhaled sharply through his nose before finally nodding in agreement.

"That won't be necessary. It's this way to the warehouse." He led the way through his personal office to the back of the building. Edward noted even more rare materials present throughout the inner office. He still had a difficult time believing that the military would approve such useless expenses. Unless the guy was transmuting it on his own, there was just no way. Which raised the question, where was he getting the resources? Despite his observations, he chose to keep them to himself since the situation was already stressful. As they entered the warehouse, the smell of smoke hung heavy in the air. Only half of the building was still standing and it was clear to Roy that this fire had been controlled. It had been confirmed that the fire started in this building and then spread to the rest of the block. By the time they were able to put it out, it had damaged several homes. So the fact that any part of this building still remained was suspicious to him. Everything would have went. Glancing down, he noticed the blackened floor revealed where several boxes once were.

"So tell me, did you clean up what was left after the fire?"

"As I said there was nothing left," Keeton remained calm, knowing that the lack of evidence would work in his favor. Edward walked along the edge of the back wall, making his own observations. There was an obvious change in the floor's texture.

"General, over here!" Roy walked over to the Major quickly with Keeton's two men on his heels. Ed didn't have to say anything as the Flame alchemist picked up on the same thing. He was sick of the run around he'd been receiving and wanted to get to the point of his investigation.

"Haven't done this in awhile," he mentioned before clapping his hands together and pressing his palms to the rough surface. Blue electricity hit the floor, pulling it apart and revealing a staircase beneath. Roy stifled a breath as he stood back up. "Yup, still kind of weird." Turning back to the Steel Mason alchemist, he pointed down. "Mind telling me what I'm gonna find down there?" The older man was obviously becoming uncomfortable about the situation.

"I didn't realize that was even there, I've only been posted here for a couple of months."

"Well then you won't mind us checking it out." He turned back to see that Ed was already on his way down. Sure enough, there were several crates full of precious metals. Roy grit his teeth before turning to the three that had followed them down.

"Planning on retiring early or something?"Keeton let out a soft chuckle, revealing his true colors.

"You really do think on such a small scale." Edward got a better look at what was really in the boxes as he picked up one of the solid bars.

"General, this isn't silver." Roy turned back to him and examined the contents as well. "See how this one has a blueish tint to it. This is radium." He placed that bar down to pick one up from another box. "And this is beryllium, and that over there looks like copper." He moved to one final crate to find several glass cylinders containing a liquified metal. "And mercury?" Finally the blond turned to the man chuckling by the exit. "What are you planning?"

"Ah, so the simple Major figured it out then?" Edward clenched his fists and his jawline became visibly tense.

"The only reason anyone would have these raw substances is to make a weapon that could seriously hurt people! There's no way the military would permit you to have it!" He was fuming by this point. Keeton sneered at him.

"Of course not, however Drachma seems more then willing to help out. I figured that the Flame alchemist wouldn't know what any of this is however I was not expecting him to bring some no name along that would." Edward's mouth pulled up on one side, glad that he had tagged along after all.

"Too bad you don't know about me. Ever heard of the Fullmetal alchemist?"


	13. Chapter 13

_Edward's mouth pulled up on one side, glad that he had tagged along after all. "Too bad you don't know about me. Ever heard of the Fullmetal alchemist?"_

Chapter Thirteen-Exhaustion

The train ride had been oddly silent, however the two passengers sitting in the furthest seat of the back car had a lot on their minds. The automail mechanic continued to watch the dark scenery go by while her sleeping toddler snuggled close to her. His slight movement brought her gaze downward and in the midst of the uncertainty hanging heavily over them, she found herself smiling faintly at his soundness. He knew nothing of the world and all the wrongs in it. His soft blond hair covered his eyes while he sucked on his thumb. When she had told him they were going on a train ride, he was so excited. The child loved trains even if he did sleep most of the time.

Just like Ed.

The sadness returned to her face and her heart ached to know that which was still not known. Across from her, Riza was reviewing file after file. She had gotten every last piece of information available on the Steel Mason alchemist. Throwing herself into the work in front of her was the only way she could deal with her own grief. This was, after all the way she had dealt with her feelings for him for so many years. When she knew he was in danger or when he got hurt. She could become completely absorbed in her work as an escape from the reality. It allowed her to be distant and that's what she needed to be now.

Distant from the pain.

Besides, if she tried to console Winry it would only remind her of how she really felt and they would both be consumed by grief. That would be counter productive, and it wouldn't make the problem any better. They just had to make it to Northern Command. She could keep it together at least till then.

She had to.

oOoOo

The clock on the wall read nineteen hundred hours before the large alchemist finished the report he was working on. His large frame made the desk he sat at seem inadequate in comparison but he would never complain about something like that. As Alex stood, he stretched his arms over his head and flexed his tired muscles. It had been quiet but busy and he was looking forward to closing the day out. Going back to his residence and not having to think about work or anything else for the rest of the evening sounded great. And what made it all the better was the fact that he was off the next day. As he tidied up the desk top there was a light knock at his door.

"Yes, come in." Lt. Andrew Kinstrel poked his head in, almost as if he was making sure it was safe. "Oh Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" Kinstrel came further into the office, seeming oddly confused. Normally the officer was better put together however it was clear that something was troubling him.

"Sir I was just wondering if General Mustang and Major Elric were planning on staying another night. I managed to find nicer housing for them."

"You haven't heard from them yet? Surely they've finished the investigation by now. It's way too dark out." The Lieutenant shook his head in reply.

"I even tried contacting Colonel Keeton's office but there was no answer. That was before seventeen hundred hours so they should have still been there. I thought they would need a ride back to Northern Command." Armstrong didn't like the sound of this. It wasn't like Mustang to not check in.

"You don't think they headed back to Central without telling us, do you?"

"Sir, their luggage is still in their room." That statement settled it for the Strong Armed alchemist as he picked up the phone. He needed to make a couple of calls before they headed up the mountain path.

That's what had started the whirl wind of a night for Alex. He had left the office once he confirmed the path heading into Los Claire had been blocked. Rushing over to the hospital, he did not find his two allies which brought more concern then relief. Deciding it was better to be safe then sorry, he rode up the darkened path in an ambulance. About half way up, the road was cut off abruptly by a large pile of snow. As he got out of the cab,his foot came down in a loud crunch in the snow that had freshly fallen. Making it around the front of the vehicle, he noted that the edges of the small avalanche were solid ice, telling the alchemist that it had been an intense heat that caused this blockade. Mustang was definitely the cause of this. There was no doubt in his mind, he had known him long enough to know his handy work when he saw it.

"General Armstrong?" Lieutenant Kinstrel poked his head out when the man removed his jacket.

"I think we need to clear the path." He brought his large fist back but paused when something in the blackness caught his eye. It was faint. Like a beacon in the night that was fading fast. A plea for help. His bright eyes shifted to his right and sure enough he could make out two dim red lights. It stirred a sudden concern deep within him and forced him to action as he hurried back to the cab to retrieve a light.

"Sir?"

"I think I see a car. Call for another medical team, we're gonna need some help." His orders weren't harsh but his tone revealed how impertinent it was to move quickly.

"Yes, Sir." Without another word, the large alchemist turned and started down into the emptiness below. This new source of light confirmed his suspicions as he followed the path of broken limbs and branches, making a bee line for the crash sight.

oOoOo

Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve some of the groggy feeling from his head. It didn't work. Fatigue was not something he had dealt with since the Ishval war. Just by looking at him, anyone passing by would be able to tell that he was worn out. He was one of the only people standing on the platform, waiting for a train that had left Central over ten hours ago. Normally the trip to get to Northern Command took two or more days depending on the route, however this was an express line with no stops on the way and using the quickest route. It was only a miracle that Lieutenant Hawkeye had managed to catch the midnight run.

It was now mid afternoon and the General hadn't slept in the past thirty hours. Between keeping up with communications with Central and being at the hospital, he hadn't had a second to even think about resting. The lack of sleep was evident in his normally chipper appearance as dark circles had formed under his eyes and his perfect posture that had been handed down the Armstrong line for generations was not so perfect today. In fact it was down right shameful. But he had to be here. He would not rest until he was no longer needed and that meant finding those responsible. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he blinked back sleep from his eyes once more.

"General, here you go." Lieutenant Kinstrel smiled up at his superior, holding out a cup of coffee for him. "The stuffs' pretty strong."

"Thank you Lieutenant. You've been a big help." His spirits actually sounded somewhat broken and although the Lieutenant like everyone else who knew Armstrong could not take the man's antics, he hated seeing him like this. He was always the one encouraging everyone in the office. Nothing was impossible as long as you were optimistic enough and had muscles to show. But that was not the Strong Armed alchemist waiting for the express line now. Today he was worn out and fully clothed. His two fellow alchemists, whom he had fought side by side with for so many years were unable to lift his spirits. Their absence plagued him most and he could do nothing for them at this time. Alchemist were fixers, determined to make the world a better place for humanity, so when some tragedy took place that was out of their hands, they took it hard. And he still had to face Riza and he hated giving anyone bad news.

"There is it, Sir," Kinstrel pointed and a loud whistle confirmed his observation. A knot had been forming in Alex's stomach and had now moved up to his throat. This would make speaking very difficult so he took several gulps of the luke warm coffee. The train halted and he immediately caught sight of Riza. And then he noticed she was not alone and he swore he stopped breathing. Winry Elric exited the train behind the Lieutenant. Carefully she shifted a small boy no older then two on her hip in order to pick up her suit case.

"Miss Winry is here too? I wasn't planning on her coming as well." This would make things all the more difficult for the General.

A/N-We'll call this the connection chapter, it kind of ties everything together. :) Also just a quick name explanation- the city of Los Claire translates into Lost Clarity. Thought that was kind of cool, but then I am a dork. Send some lovin! I got such great reviews on the last two chapters I had to update quickly for you guys. And in case you haven't noticed the chapters are gradually getting longer.


	14. Chapter 14

_"Miss Winry is here too? I wasn't planning on her coming as well." This would make things all the more difficult for the General._

Chapter Fourteen-Escape

"The Fullmetal alchemist," Keeton scoffed while rubbing his chin, "You? Somehow I doubt that. And besides from what I heard he can't even perform alchemy anymore. So why should I even care if you are really him?" Edward could feel his temper rising in his throat but held it in as best he could. A sly grin formed on his mouth as he thought up a witty come back.

"Well with alchemist like you running around, using it for your own profit, I think I'd rather just be normal." There was a huff from behind and Mustang held his head.

"Gee thanks Ed, appreciate you lumping _me_ in with him." Edward glanced back and shrugged. When he turned back to the three standing between him and the exit, he noticed Keeton's two men had their guns drawn now. The blond slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh.

"Really? This is how we're doing this? With guns? How cliche."

"As enjoyable as this has been gentlemen, I can't have you reporting back to Central about what you found. I'm sure you understand my reasoning."

"Wouldn't want us ruining your plans or anything." The General stared in shock as the Major continued to egg them on. He couldn't for the life of him understand why he kept the tough act up. "We just know too much so you can't let us leave_, _right?"

"Exactly, wow you're really taking this bett..." The soul of Ed's boot made contact with Keeton's face, knocking him off his feet. Swinging around, he brought his leg up and kicked to his left, sending one gun to the ground. Marcus grabbed his hand, trying to figure out why there was so much momentum behind the attack. The Major had moved quicker then he or his colleague had anticipated. Without warning, a shot was fired, grazing Ed's left shoulder. The deafening sound didn't stop him though. Bringing his attention behind him, he swung his arm around, nailing the other guy in the face. Realizing Mustang was still standing there in shock, he grit his teeth and hollered back to him.

"What are you just standing there for, let's get the hell out of here!" Marcus tried to grab Ed from behind and Roy moved quickly, snapping his fingers. The sound bounced off the walls, sending flames around the confined area. The Major elbowed the taller man in the face before ducking away from the General's attack. "You idiot, don't you know this stuff is toxic! You don't just go shooting flames off!"

"Just move! And don't call your superior officer an idiot!" The two of them started up the stairs towards the exit. Just as Roy reached the top, another eardrum piercing gun shot sounded. He paused in his escape as an intense pain ripped through his left side. It forced him to drop to his knees. Glancing back down, he saw the Steel Mason Alchemist still aiming at him. He had to get out of sight. Stumbling back up he made it several feet before going down again. Edward had already made it back to the office, unaware of the General's absence. He could hear Keeton's heavy footsteps coming up the stairs at a leisurely pace.

"Yah know I wanted to make this quick and painless. Now I'm gonna have all this evidence to clean up." Roy glanced up at the other alchemist to see the man's expression had no feeling in it whatsoever. "I don't know if you are aware of this Flame alchemist but there are those of us still in the military that aren't particularly pleased with how things are going. And let's face it, the current Furer already has his favorites. We all know what's going to happen when he steps down and that means my side hobbies really won't go unnoticed. So we're just going to have to keep that from happening, won't we?" Mustang squinted through the pain while he held onto his side.

"That's what this was all about? So what? Do you think you're a runner up if you get rid of me?" The large man grinned in response which was all the answer needed. Mustang noticed Keeton's two men rush up the stairs in a hurry, quickly going to retrieve Edward."You know it's a shame that you brought the Major along, he shouldn't have to die because of you. But then you always did manage to put people lives at risk if they got too close to you."

Roy raised his hand, trying to focus on torching the man before him. Unfortunately Keeton was faster as he stretched his fingers out at his side, sending an unnatural glow through the silver rings decorating his hand. A metal spike shot up from the ground nearby, slicing through the Flame alchemist's hand and the transmutation circle on the back of his glove. He let out a yelp and fell backwards. As he tried to scoot back to get away, the Colonel kicked him in the chest, causing the arm he was leaning back on to give. Keeton's heavy boot came down on his rib cage and he leaned all his weight forward until he heard a satisfying crack. The General groaned loudly through his teeth. "You really are determined to make this more difficult then it needs to be. As creative as I usually am, I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry now that you've decided to be difficult." Keeton raised the gun,aiming it at Roy's head and cocked it loudly. "Goodbye General." Before he had a chance to fire there was the sound of his men yelling and something large came crashing through the rear wall. The military car came to a screeching hault and Ed got out.

"What part of 'let's get the hell out of here' didn't you understand?" The blond was tossing something up and down in his hand. The Steel Mason alchemist got a better look and realized it was a grenade.

"Where did you get that?"

"Please, it's not like you're very good at hiding things. When you label a box in your office, it makes the guess work so much easier." Keeton brought the gun up, now aiming at Ed. He ducked back into the car and hit the gas. The vehicle flew forward, forcing the man with the gun to jump out of the way. Edward got out again and motioned to the General to get into the passenger side. Roy forced himself up and made it into the car. A scream of anger came from the front of the car as Keeton stood back up.

"You little bastard! How dare you interfere!" An intense fire sparked in the former alchemist's amber eyes at the older man's remark. Without a second thought, he pulled the pin on the grenade still in his hand and tossed it lazily towards the hidden storage room in the corner. The hand held object bounced down the stairs before skidding across the floor. The explosion shook the ground and ripped a hole in the earth, demolishing most of what remained of the warehouse. The Steel Mason alchemist stared in shock as his precious materials were destroyed. Before Ed could think of anything poetic and sarcastic, there was the sound of another engine starting up. Quickly he got into the driver's seat and took off down the street just as the other vehicle pulled onto the road after them. Roy sat up in his seat some.

"Do you even know how to drive?"

"What's to know?"

"That's reassuring." The Flame alchemist inspected his glove. He might be able to still use it.

"Hey, who just saved your ass, a thank you would be appreciated right about now."

"Fine, whatever. Just don't get us killed."


	15. Chapter 15

_"Fine, whatever. Just don't get us killed."_

Chapter Fifteen-Waiting

"Surgery!" The automail mechanic's eyes widened in fear while Riza remained silent next to her. They were seated in the back of a car with General Armstrong on their way to the hospital.

"Yes, General Mustang went in for surgery this morning. There hasn't been an update on how he's doing. And they were suppose to start running several tests on Major Elric as well. All of this would have happened last night however," the large alchemist taking up most of the back seat lowered his tired sad gaze. "Apparently it took several hours just to stabilize the two of them. I haven't gotten an update since this morning. Last I checked in, they were both in ICU.

"I understand, thank you General," Riza quietly ended the conversation, knowing she couldn't take any more information right now. Winry couldn't understand how she managed to stay so calm.

"Do you know what kind of tests they were doing on Edward?" The Strong Armed alchemist couldn't look her in the face as he spoke.

"When we found him, he was unconscious and hasn't woken up yet. The doctors said they're worried about the head injury he sustained." She swallowed hard and nodded slowly in response. "Please don't be upset with him." She brought her head up when he said that. "I know how much you pride yourself in your work. Unfortunately in order to get Edward out of the crash we had to remove his automail. It wasn't his fault this time. I'm truly sorry for destroying your work."

"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it." She waved her one hand back and forth. Of course even if it had been Ed's fault, she wasn't even thinking about the automail. She was too consumed with worry for his well being. The idea of these tests troubled her.

"Did you find out what caused the crash?" Riza decided it best to change the subject for all of them. They would be dealing with Roy and Ed's conditions for the next couple of days so there was no reason to talk about it now when no one knew anything.

"Actually yes, a team investigated the sight this morning. There was evidence that the back window was broken due to shots fired and they estimated the speed they were going, concluding that someone might have been chasing them. Also General Mustang blocked the path up there which would confirm this suspicion. We're still trying to clear the road in order to get to Los Claire. No one has been able to reach the Steel Mason alchemist since yesterday when they went up there for the investigation." Armstrong's gaze drifted to the sleeping toddler as he muttered in his sleep. "Are you sure it was a good idea to bring him along?" Winry glanced down, a deep pained expression evident on her face.

"I didn't have much of a choice. I haven't really explained anything to him yet but then I'm not even sure how to." Alex found himself actually smiling at the youngster. He was still asleep even with the transition from the train to the car. His cheeks were now tinted with the slightest bit of red due to the cold weather outside.

"If you need any help with him, just let my office know. I'm sure someone can take him off your hands for awhile." Kinstrel's soft voice came from the front seat.

"Sir, are you assigning me babysitting duty?" The alchemist in the back seat let out a hardy laugh.

"Sure why not?" The lieutenant let out a worrisome groan at the thought.

"This was not why I got into the military. I don't even know how to change a diaper." Just as the mood started to lightened, the car came to a stop, reaching it's destination. The hospital loomed overhead, almost in a foreboding manner. Gray clouds hung low in the sky, making it all the more dismal a place to be. Lieutenant Kinstrel moved first, getting out of the driver's seat and opening up the rear door. Winry felt hesitant, wondering if she could handle what she was about to learn beyond the hospital's entrance. But despite her uneasiness, she carefully got up and waited for Riza to join her.

oOoOo

Normally hospitals felt cold inside, bare white walls and a sense of depression. But in comparison to the cold weather outside, it was rather warm in the building. One particular older doctor recognized General Armstrong immediately and walked over to him. Winry noticed that even the doctor looked tired, but also noticed a feeble smile spread across his face. She hoped this meant he had good news.

"Ah General Armstrong, I'm glad you stopped in. I left a message for your office." The large alchemist turned to the two women standing next to him.

"This is Dr. Wilhelm. He's been one of the doctors in charge of General Mustang and Major Elric's care."

"I take it they're family," the wise doctor concluded as he adjusted his glasses. "It's a pleasure to meet the two of you." The anxiousness was beginning to start to get to Riza as she found herself shaking the man's hand but felt these introductions to be pointless right now. Even so, she remained as professional as always on the outside. "If it's okay, General, may I speak with them in my office for a couple of minutes?"

"Yes, of course," Alex turned to Winry who was still holding Van. "Would you like me to take him?" Knowing that it would be best, she handed her son over. Although he was still napping, she didn't expect it to last much longer. Quietly she moved in step behind Riza. The way to the office was agonizingly long but finally Winry was taking her seat while the old doctor closed the door. He pulled out two charts and placed them both on the desk, before taking a seat on the other side.

"I will be perfectly honest, both General Mustang and Major Elric were in pretty bad shape when they came in last night. They both had serious cases of hypothermia and deydration. General Mustang had several broken ribs and had been shot in his left side." His attention turned more to Riza now as he noticed her concerned look. "Mind you he's in recovery right now, in ICU. He got through just fine although he's more then likely still sleeping. He's been in and out since surgery. The bullet did some damage but nothing that wasn't repairable." Riza found it some what easier to breath when he finished his explanation. Taking a second, Dr. Wilhelm removed his glasses to clean them before shifting his gaze to the automail mechanic. "As for the Major, I am afraid we're having some trouble with his prognosis. He's still unconscious and apparently hit his head pretty badly in the accident. We ran some tests to find that he didn't receive any serious neck or spine injuries but we do think he has some swelling and bruising that will eventually subside. I don't believe however it's just a simple concussion." Winry wanted to nod her understanding but even that seemed difficult. She had witness some bad circumstances in the past, especially with Ed, but she didn't know a whole lot about neurological problems. "I'm sure we'll have a better idea what we're dealing with in the next twenty four hours." Lieutenant Hawkeye knew this information was difficult for her friend to hear and found herself asking the obvious question.

"Can we see them yet?"


	16. Chapter 16

_"Can we see them yet?"_

Chapter Sixteen-Communication

Considering how close the hospital building was to Northern Command, it wasn't unusual to see Military personnel wondering through the halls. In fact it was pretty normal. And since they were so connected with the military, nurses and doctors weren't known for just standing around. They kept pretty busy, running from one room to another.

So no one found it strange when Lt. Marcus casually walked down the hallway to one of the storage rooms. There was no one around to question his purpose for being there or to notice it when he slipped into a door that should have been locked. He had been fortunate that the nurse who last left the supplies closet had been in too much of a hurry.

Inside, he glanced around, browsing for one thing in particular. There were several vials of different medications that would suffice for his task, however he already had what he needed to complete his mission, he just needed the correct utensil to administer it. Finally his eyes landed on the perfect device. Carefully, he picked up one from the rear of the shelf so no one would notice the object missing. He held it up, inspecting the clear glass tube connected to the thin metal piece at the one end. The sharp edge was covered with a soft foam in order to keep anyone from injuring themselves. Not taking another second, he picked up a second one and placed both syringes into the pocket of his jacket before exiting the small room.

oOoOo

He wondered who it was that hated him so much that they would prevent him from sleeping. It was no longer a pinging sound of hale from above but an obnoxious beeping that kept him awake this time. The light from above hurt his eyes even while keeping them closed. Even though he had regained his sight after the Promise Day, his eyes still seemed extra sensitive to light and he noticed that it was difficult to focus every now and then. This was one of those times that the idea of even squinting seemed impossible.

His entire body felt numb and his breathing seemed to be regulated. And then there was the beeping. That constant sound reminding him he was alive, somehow. Everything that had happened the day before came back in a blurry disjointed thought process and he decided that it was just too much right now. Despite the lack of feeling, there was a slight nagging pain that was deeper then anything he'd ever felt before. There was no explanation for it and apparently no way to escape it either. Trying to clear his throat, he found something foreign in his windpipe. Tilting his head back some, he realized that it was invading his mouth as well, filling his lungs with warm oxygen. He hated it, however knew it was probably necessary.

He wondered what kind of condition he was in after everything. Before he could finish his thought, he heard a door nearby squeak loudly on it's hinges. He didn't know what to do. It was probably a nurse or a doctor, however there was always the chance that it was the Steel Mason alchemist, here to finish the job. He was completely vulnerable. Suddenly he felt a cool hand brush the top of his fingers.

"Roy? Can you hear me?" Riza only called him by his first name when they were home, revealing her concern for him. Against his better judgment, he barely opened his eyes which only seemed to express the pain he was in all the more. Riza's blurry form was leaning over him and she picked up his bandaged hand, carefully placing it against her cheek. He blinked several times, knowing full well he couldn't exactly speak at the moment. His fingers moved slowly on her face. His arm felt heavy and if she let go of his hand, he'd probably drop it. The longer he stared at her blankly, the more he seemed out of it to her. After several more worn out blinks, she picked up on what he was trying to tell her. It was like their own secret language. He knew she understood what he was asking when her expression became shocked and she gently placed his hand back down on the bed. His statement was something along the line of claiming she was the prettiest nurse he'd ever seen and could she possibly hook him up with some more pain meds.

"Glad to see you've still got your sense of humor. And to think I was worried." The side of his mouth twitched some in an attempt to smile at her. After several more blinks, she held her head in shame and let out a sigh. "No Roy, I'm pretty sure they won't let me give you a sponge bath. Don't you think you should be a little bit more serious about what's going on?" Closing his eyes, he furrowed his brow and nodded slightly. Realizing he didn't have the strength to open his eyes again, he started tapping his finger against the bed. Again Riza caught on and listened intently to what he was trying to say. "No, they haven't been able to find out what's wrong with Edward yet. He's stable but that's all we know. General Armstrong is heading up the investigation on the crash." His expression seemed more concerned now and the heart monitor sped up slightly. Trying to sit up some, he realized he didn't have the strength. Resting his head back on the pillow, he felt her brush his hair out of his face. He squinted up again at her, the pain slowly returning. "Just rest for now okay? We'll take care of things."

Apparently his increased heart rate seemed to cause a chain reaction as she noticed one of the machines connected to his IV kick on and started pumping a clear fluid into his arm. He had to let her know about Keeton and what he tried to do. However his thoughts were starting to become difficult to hang onto and whatever he told her now had to count before he fell asleep again. The movement of his finger hitting the bed slowed down but at least he got the message out.

_"Don't trust Steel Mason, Be careful and tell them to get this damn thing out of my throat..."_ The last part caused her to smile and even though she wanted to keep talking to him, she was glad he couldn't feel any pain at this moment. And it wasn't just that, she knew if he was awake he'd feel the guilt that had been so obvious a moment ago about Ed's current condition. There was no point in him feeling bad about how things turned out. Lightly kissing his forehead, she stood from the bed. As professional as she always was, she really hoped for the opportunity to shoot the man responsible for this.


	17. Chapter 17

_As professional as she always was, she really hoped for the opportunity to shoot the man responsible for this._

Chapter Seventeen-Unknown prognosis

Winry sat quietly, waiting for Dr. Wilhelm to return. The news he'd given her so far did not ease her nerves at all. She still didn't even know if she would be allowed to see Edward yet. Usually in these kind of situations they would ask friends and family to stay in the waiting room till the patient was out of ICU. But then Riza had been permitted back to see Mustang so she had hope that it would be the same for her.

Unfortunately this whole situation felt like history repeating itself for her. The grief she felt was the same as when she was little and her parents were killed. She wasn't sure how she would react if anything happened to Ed. Even after so many years, she still missed her parents. There had even been times where she still cried for her loss but she did her best to hide it from him. Somehow though, he seemed to know. Maybe because he still dealt with the same thing every so often but he didn't show his feelings as much. She was pulled from her thoughts as the door opened and the old doctor walked in. Taking his seat again across from her, he opened the file sitting nearby and flipped through it to a specific page.

"Now that I have a chance to speak to you in private, there were some things I needed you to answer for me."

She wasn't all that sure what information she could possibly offer but figured whatever they needed to help Ed, she hoped she knew the answers. "We were having a difficult time figuring out Major Elric's blood type and had to go with the universal type when we did the transfusion. It seems he has an extremely rare type. Any ideas?" From what she understood about Ed and Al's dad, he wasn't the most normal individual to ever live. But then perhaps the question about Ed's blood type had to do with the fact that Hohenheim had been from Xerxese. But how do you explain a heritage from a group of people who no longer exist? She actually never thought about it. Even when Al had shown up that one night with Ed bleeding to death, it didn't come up then either.

"Actually I have no idea, sorry." The doctor scratched his head before scribbling something down.

"That's so strange, I was hoping you could at least shed some light on the mystery. Oh well, anyway onto the next question. We took a couple of x-rays and I noticed something odd about his right shoulder."

Pulling out a black thick paper, he got up and walked over to a flat light on the wall and placed the sheet up revealing the top half of a skeleton. Winry was truly amazed at how advanced the medical field had gotten in just a couple of years. They had nothing like this when she was a kid, although it had been in the works. Dr. Wilhelm pointed out a slight texture difference where Ed's automail arm once connected to his collar bone. The difference also marked each of his ribs on the right side. "See it makes a perfect curve here. And it's the same on his back." Winry knew exactly what caused the difference however she couldn't figure out how to explain it.

"It's actually from a past injury when he was a kid," she admitted, hoping that explanation would suffice.

"I must say after so many years of being a doctor, I've never seen anything like it." Walking back to his desk, he glanced over the file before his final question. "I was also wondering if he's ever had a seizure before." The question caused a sudden wave of anxiety to pass over the automail mechanic.

"No, not that I'm aware of." Her limited medical training kicked in and she knew that if Edward had had a seizure, it wasn't making the situation any better for him. It meant his condition was more serious especially since he was still unconscious. The doctor didn't seem any more concerned though knowing this new piece of information. He continued to jot himself some notes before sighing heavily.

"Alright, well that really is all the questions I had for you. If you'll follow me, I can take you to his room. Visitors are very limited right now. Usually, considering his condition, we wouldn't permit anyone in, however I don't see it being a problem. But just for a little bit."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." The doctor led the way to the ICU wing.

"Out of curiosity, I noticed you're his automail mechanic. You wouldn't be related to the Rockbells from Resembool?"

"Yes, actually I am." This particular question caught her by surprise.

"I knew the Rockbells during the Ishval war. They were very good at what they did." He smiled kindly at her and she found herself smiling in return.

"They were my parents." Her voice came out quietly. She knew she was already feeling pretty low considering Ed's injuries so talking about her parents wasn't something she wanted to discuss right now. They got to the room and the doctor knocked before going in. He paused for a second when he saw the other doctor was in the middle of another test and closed the door, deciding to wait in the hallway. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine, they're doing a spinal tap. I just wanted to wait for them to finish up first." Inwardly Winry hated that she had a fairly good recollection when it came to the medical field. Knowing what they had to do to Ed was not making this any easier for her. Eventually the door opened and a nurse poked her head out into the hallway.

"Doctor, you can come in now. We're all done." Just when she thought she couldn't feel any more upset about this situation, Winry caught sight of Ed. He looked awful to her. He was hooked up to several machines and seemed paler than normal. She immediately noticed his automail was missing as she had been told. His facial expression seemed upset as though he knew what was going on. He looked worried. A gentle pleasant voice broke through her thoughts and she brought her gaze away from him.

"So you're his wife as well as his mechanic. Mmm, interesting. We met up in Briggs several years ago," The woman with short hair explained to her. "I'm Miranda Scotts." Winry was surprised that she actually remembered the female doctor considering how long it had been. "He certainly can't stay out of trouble when he comes up here, can he? The kids' got the worst luck." Despite how grave the situation seemed, Winry found herself nodding in agreement.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" She brought her gaze up, feeling a little bit bolder with someone she was familiar with. Miranda scratched the side of her head while glancing over the chart she was holding.

"Well he's not in the best shape, but I've seen worse. We just wish he'd wake up." Winry nodded in agreement.

"I wish he'd wake up too."


	18. Chapter 18

_Winry nodded in agreement. "I wish he'd wake up too."_

A/N-sorry I've been slacking a bit. Please enjoy._  
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Chapter Eighteen-Procedures

The hospital was unusually quiet in comparison to the night before. The automail mechanic walked down the hallway, feeling drained. She felt no better about Ed's condition then when she had first heard about all this. The stress she had been feeling had only increased and questions continued to plague her mind. As she made it to the waiting room, she could hear Van giggling.

"Up! Up!" When he came into view, she took a moment to take in the scene. General Armstrong was gently tossing him up in the air before catching him again. The child's laughter eased her nerves some as she walked over. "Mommy, look! I up!"

"I see that." Finally Armstrong handed him over to Winry.

"He seemed a little restless when he woke up so I had to do something." She managed a feeble smile. "So how's it looking for Edward?" Quietly she brought her gaze down, shaking her head.

"I don't really know. It's hard to say right now." It was silent between them before Van's small voice broke the tension in the air.

"Mama, is Daddy sleeping?" It was difficult to keep her facial expression from revealing how she felt. She nodded and hugged him closer.

"Everything's going to be alright." She had to stay optimistic. Allowing all her fear and worry out wouldn't make things any better. The General glanced towards the hallway she had just so recently come from.

"Well if it's okay with you Miss Winry, I need to get back to the investigation. We really need to find those responsible for this as soon as possible."

"I understand. I really do appreciate all that you've done."

"If you need anything, my Lieutenant will be staying behind."

"Oh okay," she glanced around quickly before he left. "Is Lt. Hawkeye still in the ICU?"

"No, I believe she headed over to my office already. I know she wants to get to the bottom of this too."

"Yes, I'm sure." Winry wished she could be as strong as Riza but she knew she didn't have that constant push beyond emotions that every soldier had. As she watched the large alchemist head for the exit, she realized how helpless she really felt right now. There was nothing she could do.

oOoOo

As much as Winry admitted silently to herself that she didn't know much about neurological problems, neither did the medical field. As advanced as medicine had gotten, they were still a long way away from being able to properly diagnose a lot of problems. Of course there was quite a bit of basic knowledge that _was_ helpful.

Unfortunately in most cases, the proper treatment was one of trial and error. This was also the reality of Major Elric's case. There was only so much they could do for him with what limited knowledge they had. Dr. Scotts had spent most of the morning looking over other case studies where the patient had similar symptoms. She had found a few and what procedures had worked the best.

This job never ceased to be difficult. Dealing with soldier's injuries on a daily basis was hard enough however Dr. Scotts usually knew her patients beforehand which made things so much more complicated for her as a doctor. And meeting a soldier's wife never seemed to make her job any easier. It just added more pressure for her to find an answer. But she took it in stride, one day at a time, one case at a time. This one just seemed all the more troublesome because the patient was so young.

Not that Edward was the youngest soldier she'd treated, but his troubling condition made her choices as a doctor weigh even heavier on her shoulders. This realization hit her as she prepared the next test. Just like the several other exams done previously that day, this could end promising or disastrous, depending on how the patient reacted.

The spinal tap she'd performed earlier had proven helpful, ruling out several possibilities including any internal bleeding. But they still didn't have an answer to why the Major had a seizure when they first brought him in. Pushing all predetermined conclusions aside, she focused on what she was doing. Adjusting the mask over her mouth and nose, she couldn't help but furrow her brow as she lightly brushed the unkept blond hair out of her way.

There was already bruising evident at the base of the Major's skull and she certainly didn't want to add to it. Reminding herself that this procedure had proven to improve the patient's recovery in other cases, she swabbed the slightly discolored skin before slowly injecting the syringe full of medication. Keeping her hand steady, the vile slowly emptied for several seconds.

"I think it's working, Miranda," Dr. Wilhelm told her as he watched the needle indicating the patient's brain activity start to react. Dr. Scotts breathed a little easier. It was the most the patient had responded to all day.

oOoOo

The pain came back so quickly that Roy found himself desperate for relief. He shifted and tried to move as much as possible only to find the pain stole his ability to properly respond. He wanted to gasp or at the very least be allowed to complain but was unable to. Had escaping death only cause it to become angrier and follow him here. It felt like something was gnawing on his injured side. Sharp fangs of pain dug deeper into his flesh, tearing him apart in an effort to finish him off. It caused him to grip the blankets around him so tightly that the cut on his palm managed to reopen, coloring the white sterile gauze a deep scarlet. He tilted his head back, eyes tightly closed and lower lip trembling ever so slightly.

After so many minutes of this, a soft noise brought the reason for his current agony to light. It was not the constant nagging beep of his heart monitor or the gentle puff of the machine sending him oxygen. It had a maniacal quality to it, a sound that radiated ill intentions. Glaring through the pain, he glanced to his right, where the light chuckle originated from. His suspicions were correct as he observed Lt. Marcus sitting next to the bed. There was something pinched between his thumb and middle fingers that was difficult to see. Getting a better look, the Flame alchemist realized it was the IV line. No wonder he was in so much pain, he wasn't getting _any_ medication.

"Sorry, General. It's nothing personal." The soldier's grin said differently though.


	19. Chapter 19

_"Sorry, General. It's nothing personal." The soldier's grin said differently though._

Chapter Nineteen-Anxiety

They had finally gotten though the blockade of snow. The path to Los Claire was now clear, allowing General Armstrong and his team to move quickly up the road. Riza quietly inspected her weapon of choice, making sure the clip was fully loaded and then checking her back up as well. Once she was finished looking over her hand gun, she put it behind her as she secured it in her holster. Without a word, she moved to her riffle. After knowing her for so many years, General Armstrong knew that she was normally very level headed. However watching her now loading up her guns, he wondered if she was in the right state of mind for this job.

Either she was completely disconnected from the pain or it was that same pain fueling her actions. Of course it didn't matter what it was, he worried about the affect this was having on her.

"Lieutenant, you are aware that we're detaining and questioning the suspects, correct?" He eyed the sniper, cautiously.

"Yes of course, however that is exactly what the General and Major were suppose to do and we saw how that turned out. I just want to be prepared." The alchemist sitting opposite her sighed heavily, knowing the answer to his question. She was allowing her pain to push her forward. To keep going. So now the question was how far would it push her before she couldn't go any further. He knew Roy would be upset if anything happened to her. He would have to work extra hard to make sure nothing did.

"Just keep in mind that we can't question someone who is dead."

"I understand." She smiled faintly at him. "But you can't tell me you're not going to make the Steel Mason alchemist pay for what he did." Armstrong brought his gaze down sadly.

"I am upset at the situation, yes. And that does mean that I won't go easy on the man. But I also want to see him completely humiliated before tried for treason to the State." The silence from the other side of the back seat confirmed she didn't necessarily agree with him. They had tried to kill her husband. Actually almost succeeded. There had always been the idea bouncing around that he had a target on his back. That after Ishval, it would give someone serious bragging rights to take down the great Flame alchemist. It was one of the many reasons she watched his back. However back then, freaks were running the show and calling the shots. Back then, he had the constant watch from the shadows. He had been someone of interest to them and they didn't want to see him harmed. So every crooked higher up made sure that nothing did happen to him. Now things were different. Now was the perfect time to take a shot at him. She wanted to send a message to those who tried. She wanted it to be clear as day, if you messed with him, you died. There would be no compassion and you would forfeit your life if you tried to go up against him.

All that being said, her mission was simple; she would have to make Keeton an example.

oOoOo

Everything was still, except for a faint constant noise. Muffled voices penetrated through the fogginess, however they were too far away to understand. It all seemed so out of reach. As Edward drifted closer to consciousness, something else made itself present as well. Along with this new sense of awareness was a discomfort, a misery that went deeper then anything he had ever experienced. He tried to turn back, however there was no other option but to go forward. As though some unknown force was pushing him. The further he went, the more it hurt.

"I think it's working, Miranda," the statement shoved it's way into Edward's fragile comprehension. The pain worsened in his head and slowly traveled down his back, wrapping around to his stomach. It felt like a weight was on top of him, pushing him against the table. He couldn't move as his muscles didn't seem to respond. The point where the pain was the most intense started to ease a little at his neck. The burning was accompanied by an intense pressure which felt like it could snap his spine if it continued. Eventually it died down as well, enough for him to think a little clearer. Trying to get a feel for his surroundings, he immediately noticed something soft pressed against his tongue. It tasted sterile and felt soggy from being in his mouth for too long. After trying to move it around, he concluded that it was a large piece of gauze.

Now that he had that figured out, he found another thing to annoy him. Other then the gauze, there was a large piece of solid plastic taking up a majority of his oral cavity. It seemed to go all the way down his throat, making it impossible to communicate. His breathing was regulated as oxygen was forced into his lungs whether he wanted it or not. Reluctantly, Edward opened his eyes, squinting cautiously. He found himself staring at a clean white linoleum floor which was not what he was expecting. There were two soft leather cushions on either side of his face, keeping his head and neck elevated. Being upside down like this made him feel uneasy. Once again he heard two people talking but for the life of him, he was having a difficult time understanding them.

"He seems to be responding well to this procedure."

"Yes, but in other cases there were some rather jarring side affects of the stimulant. I have to give him a preventative to help with the shock to his system. With chemical imbalances like this, it could take several hours or another day till the patients' completely back to normal."

Without warning, the conversation died down and the same pressure he felt in his neck earlier was now right around his tail bone. Even if he wanted to move the weight held him in this uncomfortable position, like a vice clamping down on his waist. He tried to settle his nerves as best he could until the burning pain started up again. His heart rate jumped substantially and he bit down hard on the plastic mouth piece. Screaming was not an option as he just managed to strain his vocal cords. He tried to gasp or hyperventilate, anything but his efforts were denied, having no control over how his lungs responded. The female doctor spoke up again, her question coming out in a concerned tone.

"Is he awake?" He wanted to yell the answer, flail his arms, send off a flare even. He just wanted the pain to stop. His body felt unnaturally heavy as all his weight seemed to press against his ribs and his stomach. The pain seemed to wrap around and wretched his insides. After checking some of his vitals, the older male doctor spoke up.

"Actually he appears to be. The procedure really did work." Despite how calm he sounded though, Edward was not calm. The pain didn't go away even after the conclusion that he was conscious. He felt a small gloved hand come down in between his shoulder blades. The gesture was out of sympathy however it didn't make him feel any better.

"It's alright Major Elric. We're almost done. Just try to relax for a little while longer." The request was easier said then done. He couldn't just get his heart to stop pounding in his ears or his stomach to settle. If he was able, he probably would have thrown up by now. Both doctors noticed his only response as he scrunched up his toes and turned his ankle to the side. He seemed to be feeling for his metal foot, however never found the missing limb. This too had come as a shock. Miranda felt aweful for him, knowing full well he was in pain. She hadn't anticipated him waking up so they hadn't used any local anesthesia on his back. There was no doubt his nervous system was sending his now lucid mind over the edge. "I know it hurts. I'm sorry." She spoke softly as her fingers gently moved back and forth in another pathetic effort to comfort him.

Regardless of her efforts though, the stress was too much for him and before they finished, his eyes rolled back and in an attempt to protect him, his mind shut the world out along with the pain.

Everything was dark and unfeeling once again.


	20. Chapter 20

_Everything was dark and unfeeling once again._

Chapter Twenty-Poison,automail, and bombs

Lt. Marcus' grip lessened some, allowing Mustang a small amount of relief. Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain to dull once more. This was bad, there was no way to defend himself. He was just too weak at the moment. The lieutenant listened thoughtfully as the heart monitor revealed Roy's pulse lowered some from it's panicked state. Marcus seemed to find the situation amusing.

"You honestly thought you got away, didn't you? I have to say it certainly is quite the privilege to be the one to take you out." He acted as though this was some pleasant conversation between old drinking buddies. It irritated the Flame alchemist and if he had been prepared, he would have torched the man standing before him already. "You don't have to worry though, it won't hurt. And luckily, they won't be able to figure out what's wrong with you till the autopsy." There was a light chuckle thrown in after the statement that grated on Mustang's nerves.

The Lieutenant finished posturing and removed a large syringe from his pocket. The metallic liquid inside looked just like what they had found in the hidden room below the warehouse. Tapping the vile several times he glanced back down at Roy in his helpless condition. His maniacal grin broadened on his face as he leaned over for one last smart comment.

"Oh and don't worry about the Major. As soon as the doctors are finished, I'll take care of him as well." With nothing else to add, he turned to the thin plastic line going to the General's IV. Roy tried to move his hand and his fingers brushed against something hard amidst the covers. Stretching his hand more, he found the device to have a single button on the top. The only conclusion he could come to was that it called a nurse if he needed anything. Even though it was too late for them to stop Marcus, he might still get caught. It was the only line of defense he had right now and he pushed the button without another thought.

He didn't know how long he had before the poison took affect. As the silver fluid entered his vein along with the pain killers, he found himself feeling tired almost immediately. Of course that was more likely to be the medication then the poison."Look on the bright side, it's better then dying in a snow bank." With his final words, the Lieutenant left the room, long before anyone would bother to come check on the patient.

oOoOo

"Yes, I need to speak to Neil," Dr. Scotts leaned against the nurses station in the ICU, waiting patiently to be connected to one of the only people this far up North that could help her. Tapping her pen against the counter top, she pulled a loose piece of paper out of her pocket that had some scribbling on it. The writing was sloppy but then she had been in a hurry when she wrote it down.

"Yeah, this is Neil." His unprofessional tone brought a smile to her face and she shook her head.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything important."

"Oh hey Miranda, no nothin really going on around here. I haven't been _that_ busy lately. What can I do for yah?"

"I'm actually calling because I need a replacement for a patient. I've got the measurements right here."

"Did you just want a temporary or something more artistic?"

"You mean gaudy. And no, just a temporary. Also if you could also get us a port repair kit I'd appreciate it."

"You're not sawing off people's metal limbs now are you," the mechanic on the other end of the line inquired.

"Don't be ridiculous. He was in a crash and it had to be left behind. Now you want these measurements or not?"

"Fine fine, you aren't any fun at all. Go ahead."

"It's going to be for a left leg, about four or five inches above the knee and two feet, eigth and a half inches in length approximately."

"I'll get you an adjustable one just in case it's off slightly."

"Thanks, I owe you." Just as she was finishing up the conversation, she noticed a flashing light at the nurses station for the room General Mustang was in. "Hey I've gotta run. See you later, okay?"

"Sure thing. I'm on it." Getting off the line, she headed down the hallway to see if anyone had responded to the page. From what she understood, the General should still be sleeping. The only person that seemed to be anywhere near the room was a passing soldier. She wondered if she was the first one there. Opening the door, she found two nurses inside, trying to get the patient stable again.

"What happened?" She rushed inside.

"He's having difficulty breathing," the one shouted.

"How is that even possible if he's already been intubated?"

oOoOo

The streets of Los Claire were empty, which seemed somewhat odd considering the townsfolk had been trapped up here for about a day or so. Riza scanned the main road for anything suspicious. They finally came to a halt outside the significant atrocity that had started this whole mess. In the center of the town, where the fire days before had started, stood the warehouse. Or what was left of it after a fire and explosion, courtesy of one Edward Elric. Like a smoking gun, it remained the symbol of the Steel Mason's crimes. It brought so many questions and concerns to Riza's mind. Something this obvious in the midst of such a normal town clearly showed that this man was proud of what he did. So that fact could possibly mean he was going to give up easily now. He had been caught after all and failed to kill the witnesses. Any sane person would know when their luck was up. But then this man also went up against the Flame alchemist which is something in and of itself pure insanity. So perhaps he was crazy and was prepared to take as many people down with him. Assuming the worst was something that had kept the Lieutenant alive, through a war and throughout her career. Protecting the General who let's face it, had his own insane moments as well, had made her this way all the more. Perhaps it was an alchemist thing, she mused to herself and concluded that she would never fully understand how they thought.

Realizing her thoughts had pulled her away from the mission, she shook her head in an effort to help focus. She noticed that her concentration wasn't as sharp as it usually was these days. But right now was not the time to be distracted. Cautiously, she walked behind the Strong Armed alchemist, the perfect human shield. The two of them, along with three other men moved into the overly decorated office of Colonel Keeton. The place was empty which wasn't a big shock to anyone. The General huffed loudly in frustration.

"I don't really understand where else he could be. The road is the only way down the mountain." Riza silently walked around the room, taking in the ceiling, walls, floor, everything. "Lieutenant, he's not here. Come on, we have to question the people still in town." She nodded but continued to walk around the room.

"I thought his office was suppose to be very ornate. That's what the file said." Alex looked around the room as well. "There's nothing here though. Which means he has no intentions of coming back." To her credit she had dealt with a lot of criminals and their strange little habits. After another minute, the General was loosing his patience. There was no point sticking around if there was nothing here.

"Hawkeye..." She brought her hand up, silencing him as though she was trying to think. And even though he out ranked her, he permitted the gesture.

"You hear that?" Her voice came out in a whisper. Again Alex wasn't sure what she was getting at as he listened to the quiet as well. The only noise in the room was the sound of the clock ticking away the minutes they should be looking for Keeton. And that was when the large alchemist realized there was no clock on display and furthermore State alchemist's carried their own pocket watches. They really didn't have need for a clock in their office, Mustang nor himself had one in either of their work places.

"We have to get out of here now" Just as he turned to her, she was opening the bottom drawer of the desk to reveal a bomb. Moving quickly, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder before exiting the building. The explosion came sooner then he expected, tossing both of them into to cold damp street. The bomb shot debris everywhere, littering the town. Several pieces of wood landed on the military vehicle, denting the roof and hood. Once the flames died down everything was still. Everything.


	21. Chapter 21

_Once the flames died down everything was still. Everything._

Chapter Twenty One-Repairs

The only sound now was a familiar one. There was no rhythm to the gentle clanging but over the years Edward had become accustomed to it. The soft clicking of a tool against his automail. It was oddly soothing considering what he'd been through. Barely opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the floor again. It was a boring sight. Coughing lightly, he realized his throat was clear of any artificial contraption. He felt oddly warm and when he tried to move, he came to the quick conclusion he was still unable. There was a loud snap from his left leg, the kind of noise that was usually accompanied with pain. Suddenly he realized that he didn't feel any of the pain from before let alone anything unpleasant from his connected nerves. He sighed to himself as a sense of relief came over him. Something moved against his right side, pressing more against his ribcage. The peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of a motorized tool that made his heart pound faster. Something was removed from the port and something else was being attached.

"Wow, these drills are soo nice. I've gotta get one when we get back to Central." He knew that squeal all too well. That enthusiastic joy for tools and parts and pretty much anything not girly. The pure glee of a gear head. But she was his gear head and her jovial voice was more calming then the silence.

"...Wiwry?" Edward moved his tongue around to feel an obnoxious amount of gauze still occupying his mouth. It was disgusting and he wanted to spit it out.

"Ed? You're awake?" She paused in what she was doing.

"Pleh," it was the only answer she received and instead of crying in relief, she found herself laughing instead.

"Hang on, let me get the doctor." She got up quickly and exited the room. Like he hadn't had enough of doctors as it was, he would have been content just being here with her for a couple more minutes. With her absent now, he found it easier for his mind to race. He wanted to know if he was back in Central or still up North. Winry's presence meant word had gotten to Central about the accident. He wondered if they got to Mustang in time. His injuries were worse after all. Shifting a little, he felt that same pressure at his side and it moved along with him. A faint smile came to his face as he realized if Winry was here, Van probably was too. Thus explaining the little ball curled up in the blankets next to him. The toddler always was very clingy to him anyway, so it was no surprise to Ed. He hoped no one had said anything hurtful to him. Edward had dealt with enough adult stuff at such a young age, he wanted to shield his own kid from as much as possible. Which was the reason he declined the offer his teacher made him to take little Van for training when he turned two.

Why was it he couldn't stay out of trouble whenever he went up North? Why was there always someone who wanted him dead? Of course this time really was a close call considering that he didn't have alchemy to save him anymore. The only reason he'd managed to survive his teenage years was thanks to that science. And yet Mustang was so useless. How he thought this was going to be such an easy mission Ed still couldn't understand. And they still had to deal with the stupid Steel Mason alchemist, who was soo loosing his certification if he had anything to say about it. Despite his anger towards the man though, he was still really irritated with the General.

"I old im, an now I geh oo lauff in hith stoopid fath."* Why he was still attempting to speak, he didn't know. He just sounded drunk or something. He could try to get all fired up about this but even he didn't have the energy for it. The door opened and Winry walked in along with Dr. Wilhelm and Lt. Kinstrel.

"Are you planning on staying awake this time, Major?" Ed actually managed to roll his eyes.

"Hah hah." The extra warmth at his side left as Winry scooped Van up and moved out of the way. The old doctor moved the blankets and opened the back of Ed's flimsy hospital attire. He slowly pulled two pieces of medical tape from his lower back before removing the needle connected to a thin plastic line. Despite his best efforts to be gentle, there was still the faintest sting that slowly moved up Ed's spine.

"Still got some bruising back here, although I think we did some of it." Edward groaned back, his eyelids fluttering slightly as a result to the pain he was now feeling. It subsided and he sighed heavily. After much effort and the help of the Lieutenant, they got him turned around. Even sitting up now, his arms felt heavy and the idea of trying to move seemed tiresome. After the doctor checked all his vitals and got the gauze out of his mouth, the older man stood back appearing satisfied. "You should be alright. Just take it easy for now, okay." Winry was half expecting a smart comment but instead Ed just nodded. Once the doctor left, the Lieutenant spoke up as he moved next to the bed.

"Sir, can I get you anything?" Edward's tired gaze shifted over to the younger man. He really just wanted to go back to sleep but apparently when he did that, everyone worried about him.

"Something to eat would be nice."

"Yes sir, Major. I'll be right back." Kinstrel saluted before leaving the room. Ed still didn't know how to handle that kind of respect. And it was really odd that he considered the Lieutenant an inexperienced kid. Winry moved around to his right side, placing Van back down next to him. Despite how tired he was and unwilling to move, he absentmindedly placed his hand on the toddler's back. Winry grabbed an extra pillow and placed it under his automail port so she could have it elevated some. Finally his brain started working again as he watched her get back to work.

"Where's my leg?"

"They had to leave it behind. General Armstrong damaged the port though in the process." Ed heaved his next breath in response.

"I wonder how they figured out where we were," his voice sounded tired as he blinked away the sleep that was nudging him.

"Where is Armstrong anyway?"

"He and Lt. Hawkeye went after that State alchemist." The mention of the Lieutenant brought about his next question.

"How's Mustang? Did he make it?"

"Yes, but you were both in pretty bad shape." Wearily he brought his head down.

"Sorry,...Winry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"I know you didn't." It got quiet between them as she started to concentrate more on what she was doing. A delicate smile graced her lips as something occurred to her. "They must have you on some pretty good pain medication, normally you wouldn't be so laid back during this." He sluggishly tilted his head as though nodding would take too much effort. And then he asked the oddest of the questions on his mind.

"What was with the stupid gauze?" A light giggle left his wife as she pulled away from her work.

"Did it bother you so much?" She got a better look at him to noticed the deep frown her inquiry brought to his face. He stuck his tongue out in response.

"It was soggy. Gross." Nodding her acknowledgment, she brought her concentration back to the wires she was carefully splicing.

"You had a seizure when they brought you in." Her explanation came out in a soft tone, revealing the thought bothered her. "Dr. Wilhelm told me you had a pretty bad head injury so they think it had to do with that. The 'soggy' gauze was to keep you from choking, or something." Shutting his eyes, he concluded that he wasn't ready to talk about all this just yet. Resting his head back, he breathed in deeply.

"What a mess," he muttered and she couldn't help but notice how worn out he really did sound.

"Are you feeling okay?" Stopping her work again, she glanced over at him. Getting up, she removed one of her work gloves and pressed her palm to his forehead. "Mmm, should have known all this damage to your port was going to have some side effects." He groaned softly, closing his eyes again. She moved to the bathroom nearby and returned with a damp cloth. "You know you can sleep, Ed. It's not like you're in any danger now."

"But I have to get a hold of Hawkeye. I've gotta tell them...stuff." Winry found herself smiling again. Leaning down, she kissed his hot forehead before placing the cool rag just above his eyes. He groaned again at her.

"I've still got quite a bit to repair before I can even attach your temporary. It'll be okay." As she smiled down at him, he finally brought his tired amber gaze up, worry evident in his eyes.

"If they're going after Keeton, they're in danger."

A/N-*So yeah in case you missed what Ed was muttering about earlier, he said "I told him and now I get to laugh in his stupid face."


	22. Chapter 22

_"If they're going after Keeton, they're in danger."_

Chapter Twenty Two-Measures Taken

"What is taking so long? Haven't you finished the job yet?" The irritation in Keeton's gruff voice was evident as he kept his tone low. Marcus clenched the phone tighter, having the fore sense to know the Colonel was not happy with their progress.

"I'm sorry sir, it's just taking a little longer then I expected. That one Lieutenant has been hanging around too much for me to get close."

"Well you'd better think of something, we don't have all day. If you don't hurry up, I'll have to take matters into my own hands, understand."

"Yes, sir." Marcus swallowed hard, knowing that if his Commanding Officer got any more involved, there would be more people hurt. In his opinion the number of casualties was growing a little too quickly for the military to turn a blind eye to. He wasn't sure how much longer he wanted to be a part of this. However he also knew getting out now was more or less a death sentence for him.

oOoOo

There was a gentle nudge that brought Riza back to reality. Her ears were ringing and she immediately realized she felt cold. Armstrong was yelling something at her but she just couldn't hear him. She could feel blood trickling down the side of her face. Everything seemed to ache however she was pretty sure she would be okay. Still feeling dazed, she brought her attention back to the General.

"Lieutenant! We have to get back to the hospital!" She shook her head, still having a hard time hearing him. The blast had left her ears ringing and she blinked several times, trying to get her barrings together.

"No, it's okay! I'm alright! It's just a scratch!" Placing a hand against her throbbing head, her once white glove quickly became soaked in blood from the wound. It made her feel light headed and she wished she could recover from the blast sooner. Judging by the size of the explosion, it was clear that Keeton was determined to kill anyone who knew about him. The thought sent a chill up her already cold body. This very sobering thought brought an even scarier realization to her mind and she understood why the Strong Armed alchemist wanted so desperately to get back to the hospital. "General, we have to move. He's going to go after Roy and Ed!"

"Yes I know, come on!" He helped her up and one of his men already had the car ready to go. Waiting for her senses to come back, Riza noted that two of the men were not with them.

"What about the others?" Armstrong appeared to still be annoyed with the attempt on his life but brought his now icy gaze back to her.

"I told them to stay up in Los Claire and see if they can find out anything from the people there. I don't know about you but I have had enough of the Steel Mason alchemist. If he wants a fight, he's got one now. Let's see him take me on." Riza found herself smiling at his determination. She certainly knew she couldn't do much in her current state. The throbbing in her head had only dulled some and once they confirmed her husband and Ed were still safe, she would most likely need to be checked out as well. "I don't know why I didn't figure it out sooner. He's trying to cover his tracks. If he gets rid of everyone involved then there is no consequences for his actions."

"There seems to be an unstable desperation that is fueling everything he does. I would not be surprised if he was willing to take out anyone in order to get away. If we don't find him soon, this could become an even bigger problem. He does have connections in Drachma after all."

oOoOo

For a flimsy hospital bed, it sure was cozy. A little bit of sleep had done Edward a world of good. Opening his eyes, he noticed that Winry wasn't in the room and he couldn't help but wonder where she had gone off too. Moving his left foot some, he concluded that she had finished fixing him up. At least now he could make it to the bathroom. He also noticed a fresh set of clothes at the edge of the bed. But what brought joy to his heart was the pair of pants that were included. He understood that it would have been very difficult for Winry or anyone else to fix his port if he'd been wearing pants, however the thin material he was currently wearing left much to be desired. In all honesty, a bed sheet would have been more modest.

Trying to sit up, he felt something heavy weighing him down. Lifting the blanket, a pleasant grin spread across his face. Van was still sleeping on him. only now he was sprawled across Ed's stomach. Shifting some, he managed to move him off to the side. He received a faint moan in response but other then lightly stirring, the kid stayed asleep.

"Sorry Van, gotta get up." He placed the blankets around the toddler. He really could sleep, through almost anything it seemed. Grabbing the clean clothes and the stand connected to his IV, he stumbled towards the rest room. There was a good chance he was going to be stuck with this temporary till they let him go home which meant he was going to be pretty clumsy. He couldn't help but wonder when it was they were going to let him go home. "Mmm, pants." He contently tied the drawstring at his waist. Getting a better look at himself in the mirror he frowned at how scruffy he looked. Considering everything he'd been through, would it kill them to give him a toothbrush or even a razor. Even a comb would be handy now too as he looked at the disarray his hair was in as well. So much for taking pride in how he looked. After this entire fiasco, he was going to need a vacation at a spa. It might be worth putting in a request with Mustang when they got back. The thought brought another question to mind. What was going on with the General. He still didn't know anything. He hated being out of the loop.

Turning on the hot water, he swayed lightly for a few seconds before gripping the side of the sink to steady himself. He removed the hair tie that was not doing it's job at keeping his hair back and grabbed the soap nearby. After scrubbing his face to satisfaction, he pulled his dirty hair back into a neater pony tail knowing what he really needed was a shower. This would have to do for now though. Turning the water off, he scratched at the day and a half old stubble on his chin before drying his face with a nearby hand towel. Leaving the bathroom, he let the towel hang around his neck, still getting the last bit of water off his face.

As he brought it away from his vision, he paused in the doorway between the rooms. His breath halted in his lungs and his gaze widened as though he wasn't sure what he was looking at. A soldier stood next to his bed with his back to him. Quickly noting the stars on his bulky shoulders, Ed immediately knew the man was a Colonel. He narrowed his amber stare, knowing full well who it was that came to pay him a visit. That greasy black hair and the chain at his side that confirmed this Colonel was also a State alchemist. He grit his teeth as his temper came back to life in an instant. And just as fast as his anger had increased, it dropped back down into a sudden pained ache in his chest. Keeton turned to him, holding something in his arms. The maniacal grin on the man's face sent a tremor up Ed's spine, awaking each one of his senses as they all screamed of the danger this man's presence meant.

"Oh, there you are 'Fullmetal'," he mocked with an insulting tone. Ed couldn't keep eye contact with the man as his gaze dropped to what the man was holding. He had Van.

A/N-Mwahahha! Aw, ya'll must really hate me right about now. Love me or hate me though, please let me know. XD I'll update faster. On another note, ah the thought of Ed being all manly and scruffy. Makes a girl want to drool. I hope it brought a smile to you as you read it. It certainly brought a smile to me as I wrote that scene. Despite how long he was short and obnoxious, Ed is definitely has his attractive qualities. And I don't like blonds, so that says something. ::Ahem:: Gotta focus on the next chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

_Ed couldn't keep eye contact with the man as his gaze dropped to what the man was holding. He had Van._

Chapter Twenty Three-A force to be reckoned with

Armstrong and Hawkeye made it back to the hospital at Northern Command in record time. As soon as Riza got through the door though, the staff was determined to check her in. The General promised he would check in on Roy for her which seemed to ease her nerves some. However he was not expecting to find Dr. Wilhelm and Dr. Scotts in the other alchemist's room. The two doctors seemed perplexed and agitated all at the same time. The large alchemist came completely into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Is something wrong?" The two doctors exchanged worrisome glances before turning to General Armstrong.

"Actually he hasn't been doing too well. We can't find any reason why this came up so suddenly. He was doing fine after surgery. We've got him stable for now, but he keeps having problems breathing." The Strong Armed alchemist's gaze dropped to the bed and he couldn't help but notice that the other General didn't look to be fairing very well at all. If he was sleeping, it couldn't have been deep enough to do any good. Roy was on his side with his arms around his midsection as though he was in pain. His expression seemed to match the rest of the tenseness through out his body.

"Has anyone been in here since we've been gone?"

"Not that we're aware of, although this problem started late yesterday afternoon. We were so caught up with the Major's condition we just assumed everything with the General was okay."

"We didn't find Keeton or his men up in Los Claire. There was an explosion but we all survived. Lt. Hawkeye is being looked at as a precaution. We believe that they came here with the intent of finishing what they started."

"So you think there's more to General Mustang's relapse then? That would make sense," Dr. Scotts mused.

"General Armstrong, could you have you're men check the premise to make sure it's secure," Dr. Wilhelm asked, receiving a nod in response. He would have to move quickly. It was clear that this was Keeton's doing and the sooner they found him, the sooner they would know what had been done to General Mustang.

oOoOo

The tension was thick in the hospital room. It hung heavy in the air between the two men. The blond remained where he was, having to mentally remind himself to breath. He ground his teeth against each other, his demeanor alone threatening. His entire life he'd spent fighting for those he cared for. It had started with his mom, in an attempt to right a wrong and bring her back. That deep affection for those he kept close to him only became the driving force behind him. Pushing him to get his brother's body back no matter what the cost. At times the intensity of it made his life difficult. Loving those close to you meant you valued others lives. If he hadn't cared, things would have gone so much easier. This motivation passed from family that was blood to another that had always been his emotional support. Even when he had been too blinded to realize it. Winry had always been as close as any family he had and she would continue to be there for him. And now these fueled emotions could almost be seen or even felt like a vapor. It was so palpable it could have practically choked the man across the room, who dared threaten the relationship that was just as deep if not deeper then anything Edward had felt before.

This life he'd help create. The need to protect that life was almost intoxicating. He'd always been willing to surrender everything but when it came to Van the willingness was deeper. So deep that it hurt right now, surrounding his very heart. Threatening to crush it.

"What do you want?" His tone was threateningly low, matching the feeling in the room.

"Is that how you normally speak to a higher ranking officer?" Actually it was but the sarcastic response didn't seem to affect Ed's expression. He remained tense, ready to pounce if given the opportunity. Forget the temporary automail.

"Put him down." Keeton didn't respond, keeping his threatening presence the same. "He has nothing to do with this."

"By getting involved in this situation, you involved him too. And since you took pretty much everything from me, isn't this fair? I'm sure you know all about Equivalent Exchange."

"That's not equivalent!" Ed's emotions saturated his words and he had to regain some composure. "This is a person's life we're talking about!"

"Haven't you figured out by now, I don't care about people's life? If they are in my way, they run the risk of getting trampled."

"And you call yourself an alchemist? Misusing the laws to suit your own purposes and hurting people, you're suppose to make life better!"

"That childish thinking is why you're where you're at and I'm here. You're moral code got you to this point where you have no power to stop me. I do make life better, for myself." The more Keeton explained himself the more difficult it was for Ed to keep his cool. He couldn't see a way out of this that didn't end badly. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the door to the room opened and Winry stepped in carrying a box of tools and a bag of food.

"Oh Ed, you're up. I was wondering when..." She paused when he glanced over at her, pain etched deeply into his expression.

"Winry," he spoke her name slowly. "Go back in the hallway."

oOoOo

His throat was closing in as he tried to take a deep breath that was denied. That thing, that device that had been forced down his trachea felt like it was choking him. His mind felt numb and everything around him seemed distant. He couldn't remember how he got here or why everything felt so bad. Squinting through the confusion, he noticed two people standing over him. Their voices were muffled and he couldn't make out their faces. His vision was blurry even after blinking several times.

A sudden thought pushed itself to the fore front of his mind and he knew it was important. That was right, he had been poisoned. He had to tell them but couldn't inhale enough air to let them know. A slow pain ran through his stomach, causing his muscles to tighten as a result. The hurt deepened, pulsating as it ran it's course. He wondered if the poison was meant to slowly work it's way through his system. Was this going to be a slow death? Hadn't he been told it was a better option then dying out in the cold? He shuddered at the thought and reached his bandaged hand up to try and yank at the tube leading to his IV. The doctors didn't approve of such an action and tried to stop him.

"Sir, please you have to leave that in." Roy shook his head resolutely. He didn't know how to tell them what was going on. Desperately his mind raced to the only conclusion that would help him communicate: Riza. Finally he released his grip on the IV line and pointed at his silver band on his left hand. "You need me to get the Lieutenant?" He nodded frantically.

"But General Armstrong said she was just admitted to the hospital." Roy's eyes widened at the statement from the older doctor. Every possibility went through his mind. He needed to know what happened to her. Did it have to do with the pregnancy or was she injured? Despite all his effort though and panicked attempts, his mind went completely blank all of the sudden and he didn't have it in him to get up. Whatever pain he was feeling was enough to cause him to pass out and he stopped struggling as his heart rate dropped.

"General Mustang! Can you hear me," Dr. Scotts yelled but there was no response.


	24. Chapter 24

_"General Mustang! Can you hear me," Dr. Scotts yelled but there was no response._

Chapter Twenty four-Chaos

The clatter erupted through the silence, making the tenseness stifle for a brief moment. How the crash didn't wake Van was a miracle. It would only make the heavy feeling in the room even worse if he woke up now. The tools scattered everywhere, no longer confined to the box that was also laying on the floor. The blond mechanic continued to stare in shock, taking in the scene before her eyes. Keeton didn't pay her any mind as though she wasn't even there. Adjusting the small child in his arms, he pulled a single item out of his uniform's pocket. Edward blinked in confusion at the syringe the man was now wielding.

"Now, this is how it works. Either you take this or I give it to him." The needle was filled with a silvery liquid that Ed quickly identified in his mind. His change in expression caused the alchemist's grin to broaden. "And since I have no doubt you know what it is and that it's a proper lethal dose for an adult, you know what it'd do to a kid." The Major's jaw line visibly tightened more.

"There are easier ways to kill people, yah know."

"Yes I know, but this is more like my style and besides, it's not the most pleasant way to go. Just ask General Mustang." The statement caused Edward's mind to reel. Once again he found himself facing a problem and he couldn't come up with a solution. The closest weapons available were the tools on the ground but they were too far away to do him any good. He couldn't help but ask himself if this was really happening. But just like so many other instances in his life, reality weighed heavy on his shoulders. His gaze shifted from the tools on the floor to Winry. Considering the two options presented to him, she would be hurt no matter what he decided. The longer he mulled over this problem the more anxious everyone in the room was becoming.

"Well?" The Steel Mason alchemist was loosing patience.

"I'm thinking." Ed's tone had an annoyed quality to it.

"You're thinking," Winry cut into the conversation. "What do you mean you're thinking!"

"Woman, don't nag me." His statement came out in a low tone. "You're the one who left Van in the bed. What if he fell out and got hurt?"

"I went to go get you breakfast. If I had known you'd let our son get _kidnapped_ in the process then I would have let you starve."

"Oh that's real nice. You think I really planned this?" Keeton had to gain control of the situation as the two argued back and forth.

"Hey! Quit yelling at each other!" The same fiery amber glare he'd been receiving this whole time shot back at him in a leveling manner.

"Shut up, no one asked you! If I have to die, I'm certainly not going to do it with this assumption out there that I caused the problem in the first place!"

"Edward, don't yell at the guy threatening our kid. You're such a jerk!" Winry picked up the largest wrench she could find and threw it at Edward's head. Leaning backwards just enough, the heavy tool missed his face by an inch or so and he grabbed it out of the air.

"Really? You're gonna throw something like this at me after a head injury? Like I haven't had enough trauma." Without a second thought, he brought his arm around and tossed it at Keeton. It nailed him square in the face and he went down, dropping Van. The toddler woke up at the sudden movement as he hit the ground unprepared. The toddler landed in an awkward position, smacking his head on the floor with a loud thud. The sound made both his parents wince. As he sat up, shock took over his features before he brought his gaze up to Edward. His bottom lip started to tremble and without another thought, he let out a screaming wail.

"Daaaddddyyyyy...wahhhhhaaahhhaaa!" He brought his arms up, reaching for his father. Moving as quickly as possible, Edward made it over to the bed and scooped the small child up. He let him bury his face in his shoulder and continue crying. Winry rushed over as well, motherly concern written all over her face.

"He's alright, just got scared." Ed gently rocked his son. "Shh, it's okay, I'm right here." He spoke against the infant's ear and craddling his head. Once Van calmed down some, Edward's gaze joined his wife's as they both glared down at the alchemist still holding his face on the floor.

"Good shot, by the way," Winry mentioned to Ed as she picked up her wrench. He sighed heavily.

"How many years did it take me to learn how to dodge though?"

"So what are we going to do with him?" One particular idea stuck out in Ed's mind. He lightly patted Winry on the shoulder and smiled one of his most wicked grins he could muster up.

"I'll let you take care of him." She smiled back, tightening her grip on the tool. Edward noticed the syringe nearby and picked it up before leaving the room with Van still crying softly against him.

oOoOo

Riza was standing at the front desk, impatience evident in her demeanor. Armstrong had told her what was going on with Roy, so she was now waiting for the nurses to page Dr. Wilhelm. They wouldn't let her back to see him and the longer she had to wait, the more she felt herself on the verge of loosing it. Armstrong waited quietly next to her, daring not to say anything that would frustrate her any more. There was the faint sound of an infant wailing around the corner. Both of them looked up just as Ed came into view. He was still quietly hushing Van as he walked. The child seemed almost inconsolable as he drenched Ed's white t-shirt in tears. In Ed's other arm, he was still wheeling his IV with him.

"Nurse, I need a band aid." The nurse stood from her seat in an intimidating manner.

"Major Elric, you're not suppose to be out of your room." He narrowed his gaze, leveling her with a glare. Just looking at him she should have known not to question him.

"Excuse me? My kid hit his head so unless you want him screaming for the next how ever long he wants, you'd better get me a bandage. I don't really care about your protocol." Knowing she was not going to win this argument, the older nurse sat back down and grabbed a band aid for him. Sitting Van on the counter top, he turned and strained his neck to look up at the Strong Armed alchemist. In the back of his mind he concluded he would always be short in comparison to Armstrong which only made him frown more.

"Everything okay," the taller man inquired, noting the obvious fowl mood the Major was in. He pointed back in the direction of his room.

"Keeton showed up in my room and threatened Van. Winrys' handling it. You might want to arrest him before she kills him though." Riza grit her teeth and leaned over the counter more.

"So his kid and wife get to go see him_ and_ you let a crazed State alchemist back there as well. What is wrong with you people?" The General and Major both eyed her nervously as she snapped at the women behind the desk. Edward unwrapped the small bandage and covered the small cut on Van's forehead.

"There, all better." He ruffled the sniffling toddler's hair. Lt. Kinstrel hurried down the hallway towards them, practically out of breath.

"General Armstrong, the doctors wanted me to get you."

"You..?" Edward pointed at the Lieutenant causing him to shy away. "You were suppose to be watching my room." Andrew had concluded when he first met the Major that he had a respectful fear of him. Something unbeknownst to the former State alchemist was that the rumor mill had been going ever since he had 'retired' and then reenlisted. The entire military knew of the Promise Day and what he had accomplished back then. And of course his skills had been slightly exaggerated, leaving much to be feared even without the skill of Alchemy. Although the Lieutenant hadn't been part of the military back then, he knew enough not to anger the Major.

"Sorry, Sir. I saw Lt. Marcus hanging around and went after him. He was taken into custody about an hour ago."

"Perhaps he'll tell us what they gave General Mustang." Ed blinked back for a second, wondering what he was talking about before he remembered what Keeton had said back in his room.

"Oh that," Ed forgot he still had that needle in his pocket and pulled it out. "They gave him a high dose of mercury. All the doctors need to do is get him on a detox. He'll be fine in a couple of hours. But you'd better hurry." Riza's eyes lit up at the news. Armstrong turned quickly to his Lieutenant.

"I want you to go back to the Major's room and take Keeton into custody. I will go speak with the doctors."

"Yes, sir." Kinstrel didn't seem very enthused about accompanying Ed but he didn't have a choice.

"Daddy up. Up." The Major absentmindedly lifted Van and smiled, glad he wasn't crying anymore.

"And Van and I will be staying here till that piece of garbage is out of my room," Edward added in a childish tone, receiving a laugh from his son. He made it a point not to say any inappropriate words around the kid, otherwise the little parrot repeated them to his mother and got Ed in trouble. Armstrong glanced back at Lt. Hawkeye.

"Are you coming?" She nodded quickly following behind him.

A/N-Ed's 'daddy moments' are soo cute to me. XD By the way, Ed and Winry did the whole argue to annoy the bad guy routine before with Kimbley. Worked then too.


	25. Chapter 25

_"Are you coming?" She nodded quickly following behind him._

Chapter Twenty Five-Debt

Edward didn't realize how much stress the situation in his room had caused. Now that everything had settled, he was still more concerned about Van as he looked down at the toddler holding onto his pant leg. The Steel Mason's threat had kicked up some unsettling thoughts in the former alchemist's mind that wouldn't leave him alone. Despite his boring desk job back in Central, danger was eminent in the military. There were always those who didn't agree with the progression of things and were determined to harm those involved in it. He had to do a better job keeping his family safe. But he liked his job and his apartment. Everything had been pretty low key the past couple of years. Van seemed to noticed the deep worry that appeared on his face as the child lightly patted his real leg.

"It's okay Daddy. My head's all better." He smiled up at him, unaware of the danger he'd just been in. Ed forced a smile on his face and nodded back. Dr. Scotts came around the corner, quickly taking note of her patient. He may not have noticed it but he was swaying on his feet and was hunched over as though in pain. He didn't look well and probably still needed some rest.

"Major Elric, you're still out here?" He looked up, seeming dazed by the question.

"Well I was waiting for Lt. Kinstrel to get Keeton out of my room."

"He took him out the back, it's safe to go in now. You're wife has been waiting for you."

"Oh, okay." He went to pick Van up but she stopped him.

"You really should be taking it easy. Let me take you back to your room," She grabbed hold of a nearby wheel chair. Edward grudgingly nodded, realizing he did feel a little fatigued and walking back with Van felt a little overwhelming.

"Come on Van, let's go for a ride," he sat down and the small child sat on his lap. Dr. Scotts removed the IV bag from the stand and handed it to him.

"Has your leg been bothering you at all?" He sighed heavily, not really wanting to talk about his condition.

"A little."

"I must say I am relieved that you figured out the mercury poison. We were having such a hard time figuring out what was wrong with General Mustang. We were still waiting on the blood tests back." The blond glanced back up at her.

"So he's going to be okay, right?" She smiled down at him and nodded. Ed grinned as well however there was something mischievous about his smile.

"Good, that's twice he owes me now." They made it to his room and Winry had just finished cleaning up the tools. He didn't want to know how much she messed Keeton up. It was probably really bad. "Van, go see Mommy." He placed the toddler down and he ran over to Winry.

"Mommy, look," he pointed to the band aid on his head. "Daddy made better." Ed carefully got up, still feeling a little off balance. Dr. Scotts helped push him to his feet.

"In a little bit, I want to see how that gash is healing and we'll probably need to rewrap it."

"Any idea when we can head back to Central?"

"Depending on how General Mustang is doing by tomorrow, we were hoping to release both of you at the same time." Ed pouted in response.

"Great, I gotta wait on him then?" The doctor laughed in response.

"Sorry. I'll be back in about an hour or so to rebandage that leg and I'll give you an update on how he's doing." With that, she helped him into bed and left the room. Winry pushed the now filled box of tools over near the door and sat by the bed.

"So do I get breakfast or are you still mad at me," He inquired once he got himself comfortable. She shook her head and smiled over at Van who had found a toy train in her bag and was playing nearby.

"I asked one of the nurses to bring you something to eat." Ed made a face at the thought of hospital food but he would probably eat anything right now.

"Sorry bout everything earlier. You know I didn't mean any of it, right?"

"I know." It got quiet between them and Edward brought his gaze down.

"So I've been thinking about something and need to pass it by you." This was not the first time he started a conversation like this and she knew something was bothering him.

"Okay."

oOoOo

The hours passed slowly with what seemed like little change. Riza hated this feeling of dread that hadn't left her since she received the note back in Central. Now she was the only place she could think of being, at Roy's bed side. Once they knew what he had been poisoned with, Dr. Wilhelm got him on a strong medication to get the mercury out of his system. She just had to wait. He'd been unconscious since she was allowed in here which didn't ease the worry. Dr. Wilhelm had removed the breathing tube which she knew would make her husband happy. His breathing and heart rate had already improved drastically so it was only a matter of time before he woke up.

She was not use to this wave of emotions she was feeling. Their relationship was always so independent of each other and she had accepted that. Of course deep down she knew he needed her to back him up. He was a mess without her even when they were strictly professional. But she certainly didn't need him. Ever since her father died she had been determined to get stronger, to the point that she didn't need anyone. It was very rare that she permitted her emotions to affect her thought process however now it was difficult to keep them at bay. Seeing Roy like this was harder then she thought. He wasn't his normal cocky self, acting like he was untouchable which always drove her crazy. His face held a worry she wasn't used to. His mouth pulled down into a thin line without a hint of the smirk he normally wore.

She never thought the absence of these things would be so bothersome but that air of confidence he carried was actually what had drawn her to him in the first place. A soft knock on the door dragged her attention back to reality and she turned just as Winry poked her head in.

"Hey Riza? I've got some lunch for you. It's a little late in the day but I figured you hadn't eaten yet."

"Oh thank you." The lieutenant seemed tired to the automail mechanic.

"Is he doing any better?" Winry looked over at Mustang.

"The doctor says he is." She didn't sound very confident though. The door was pushed open a little more and both women glanced over to see Van looking in.

"Um, Mommy can I come inside?" He looked around like he was bored.

"Van, just give me a minute.."

"No, he can come in. I don't mind." Van let out a laugh before running over.

"Hi Ritha!" He waved at her, getting a faint smile in response. Winry picked him up and he tilted his head to the side, looking at Mustang. "So is Roy sleeping too?" Winry hugged him closer.

"He's gonna be okay, Van."

"Just like Daddy." Winry shrugged at Riza apologetically.

"It's okay, Winry. He's just trying to help." She glanced back at her husband, her expression revealing her own worry.

"I'm sure he'll wake up before you know it."

"How do you do it? I mean Edwards' always getting hurt and you seem to handle it pretty well." Winry held her head in shame.

"It's not as bad as it used to be. He's not so accident prone."

"You just seem to hold things together pretty well." The mechanic smiled quietly to herself. She had felt that way about the Lieutenant at the beginning of all this.

"Worrying doesn't seem to make things any better. I learned that a long time ago. I knew Ed and Al were always in danger but I had to just accept that I couldn't do anything about it." Riza let out a tired sigh.

"I guess you're right. There really is no point worrying."

"Mommy, wanna play snow."

"Maybe later,okay." The already opened door was pushed open even further as General Armstrong came in.

"Did someone say something about playing in the snow?" Van clapped his hands happily and laughed. "I'll take the youngster outside." Winry frowned at the idea but Van brought his head up, staring at her with his large round amber eyes. She didn't stand a chance.

"Alright, but we've gotta get your coat. I don't want you catching a cold." She got up and followed the General out.

The room was quiet once again, leaving Riza alone with her thoughts. After another hour, she had to just tell herself that everything was going to be fine. She knew Roy would be okay, he always came back to her even when it seemed impossible. Turning back to her husband she paused when she noticed he moved some and finally opened his eyes. His dark gaze shifted over to her and he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Hey..." To anyone else his voice sounded shaky and weak but to her it radiated his typical arrogance.

"Welcome back, Roy."


	26. Chapter 26

_"Welcome back, Roy."_

Chapter Twenty Six-Favors

Riza waited quietly out in the hallway, trying to settle any anxiousness that was left over from the whirlwind of events the past couple of days. All of them would need some time off after this. Of course she knew better then to expect anything like that to happen. The paper work alone on this case was going to be mountainous. The door opened and Dr. Wilhelm stepped out with a please look on his face.

"As long as he takes it easy, he can probably leave in about two days. Between him and the Major, I don't think I can keep them here much longer anyway. I'll have him moved into one of the regular rooms, later."

"Thank you doctor, I really appreciate your help."

"You can go in now." The old doctor stepped out of her way. Mustang seemed to be doing much better. He was sitting up now with several pillows behind his head. Shifting his gaze some, he blinked several times before faintly smiling at Riza.

"So how do you feel?" She asked as she closed the door and walked over.

"Horrible." Boldly, she sat on the bed next to him instead of in the nearby chair. He grinned a little more. "Well this is nice." Leaning her forehead against his, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"No more of this, okay? I don't think I can handle it."

"I must have scared you pretty bad, huh?" She nodded some. "It was completely on purpose."

"You're not funny." Realizing he was far too tired to keep this up, he let out a groan and leaned back some.

"Sorry, my sense of humor's probably off. Has there been any word on Ed?" Riza sat up, a thoughtful look taking over her features.

"Actually he's fine. A lot has happened since you've been out."

oOoOo

Andrew Kinstrel cautiously knocked on the Major's door. Hearing a faint grunt, he hesitantly entered, pushing a wheel chair in.

"Major Elric, Dr. Scotts said I could come get you. They're transferring you to a regular room now." The blond's expression was surprised and then suspicious as he arched an eyebrow.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Well Lt. Hawkeye is with General Mustang and your wife and son are outside playing in the snow with General Armstrong."

"What?" He was up and hurried past the flustered Lieutenant.

"Sir, please wait. The staff told me you're not suppose to be walking around due to your condition." Despite the obvious difficulty Edward was having with each step he didn't stop. He could move faster on his feet then in a wheelchair. Hurriedly, he made it outside to see Armstrong tossing Van up and down in the air. Despite the coldness of the snow under his foot and freezing temperatures, he grit his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides. He narrowed his gaze when he noticed Winry laughing along with Van.

"Go up! Go up! Higher!"

"Winry! What are you doing?" When she saw him standing there, she returned the glare she was receiving.

"Me? What about you? Are you crazy? You'll catch a cold out here!" Edward pointed at the large alchemist tossing their son up and down.

"And what about that?" He sounded slightly calmer. Winry waved it off and walked over to him. They already had their shouting match for the day, she wasn't about to have another one.

"He's fine. The General isn't gonna hurt him." Edward slouched slightly and let out a sigh.

"He hurts me all the time," he grumbled under his breath.

"Daddy look at me, I'm up!" Ed stifled a smile as he watched in horror.

"That's nice, Van!" Unable to watch any longer, he headed for the entrance. "I'll go back inside." Winry followed him to the front door where Lt. Kinstrel was waiting with the wheelchair. He seemed exasperated.

"There you are, Sir." He ran a hand through his hair, thankful he'd found the Major so quickly. Ed walked past him without a second thought. "Major Elric, please wait." Edward turned and glared at him without having to say anything. The Lieutenant stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry, I know he can be stubborn. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down," Winry explained to lieutenant let out a tired sound.

"You're his automail mechanic, right?" She nodded back.

"I guess you should know then." With that, he dragged the wheelchair behind him and headed back into the ICU. When the Lieutenant found the room empty, there was a rush to locate the Major put under his care. He really didn't want to explain to General Armstrong how he lost him.

oOoOo

"Guess I really did missed a lot while I was out." Roy meant it as a joke however it was a sobering thought.

"We honestly didn't think Keeton would be so bold as to try anything else. He could've denied the charges and pushed any further investigations back by six months, knowing how that department works." Riza's tone was more quiet then normal. Although she was no longer as worried, it was still difficult for her to settle down. Tiredly, Mustang rubbed his eyes. As much as he wished he could just bounce back from this, he'd been injured enough times to know that wasn't possible.

"And Ed was the one who figured out what they gave me. I'm sure he's gonna want all these favors now." He sounded more annoyed then he was.

"They said if all goes well, you can leave in a couple of days. I think they are being a little too optimistic."

"I would have to feel a lot better by then and I have a feeling I won't." She smiled to herself, glad to hear he wasn't in a hurry to leave. The idea of him relapsing was something she wanted to avoid. His expression seemed somewhat stoic now causing Riza to place her hand in his.

"You okay?" An ironic grin graced his mouth as though something was amusing to him.

"I really did think I was going to die. I had accepted it. I feel pretty pathetic right now." He brought his gaze away from her, not wanting to look at her.

"Considering the circumstances, I'm sure it was realistic to think that."

"Yeah but I'm a soldier, I should be more determined to survive."

"But as an alchemist, you know how the world works and when a situation is impossible." He heaved his next breath, knowing there was some truth to what she was saying. As the room quieted down, the door slammed open and hit the wall, sending a searing pain through the General's head. He once again instinctively snapped his fingers only for nothing to happen. The Major let out a weak noise but quickly realized he was not in danger. Twisting his mouth to the side, Ed glared at the General who still didn't seemed please with him.

"I could have been a nurse or someone else, yah know."

"Ugliest nurse I've ever seen." Riza couldn't help but laugh at his reply.

"So this is how you treat the guy that's been such a help?" Roy glanced over at his wife.

"I told you so." Again she laughed, this time receiving a look from Ed as well.

"That's it, I'm not doing you any more favors." The Major walked further into the room. If Roy was already tired from everything, Ed's presence made him feel even more exhausted. He immediately noticed the one thing that could make this situation even more frustrating. It's very existence annoyed him and he would've been okay if he never saw it again. But here it was, being carried over to him, coming ever closer. Paper work. The stack in Major Elric's arms wasn't too large, but even so it had no business being here now.

"You call bringing me paper work doing me a favor?" Ed blinked in confusion.

"This is the final report on the investigation. I already did it and just need your signature." Now Roy was the one blinking in disbelief. Ed sat down, flipping through the pages in his hands. After squinting for a couple of seconds, he got frustrated and pulled his glasses out of his pocket and placed then on his face. Letting out a huff through his nose, he found what he was looking for and pulled out one page. "Here, this one needs signed as well as..." He grabbed another page out. "this one." Roy arched an eyebrow and his typical arrogant grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. Edward noticed. "What is it now?" Roy leaned over to Riza, still smiling.

"Yah know with the glasses and messed up hair, and the five o'clock shadow...," Edward interrupted him through gritted teeth.

"Don't you dare say it!"

"You look like a homeless person." Relieved Roy hadn't said what he though he would, Ed's shoulder's relaxed. "Or Hohenheim." Riza immediately got between them as a precaution.

"You're _not _funny!" Despite how explosive a response he knew Roy wanted, Edward let out a tired sigh before leaning back in his chair. "And besides you're looking pretty scruffy there too." The General lifted his chin and scratched his neck, unsatisfied with the reaction.

"Oh come on, I'm hurt. Seeing you irritated is one of my few joys in life." Riza heaved a breath.

"Thanks, Roy," she muttered as she pulled out a pen for him.

"Not the best attitude considering I saved your ungrateful ass, twice." Mustang let out a frustrated noise. As much as Riza didn't want to aggravate Roy's condition, this back and forth with Ed didn't seem to be hurting him any. If nothing else, it proved he was doing better then she thought.

"Alright alright, I owe you. So what do you want?" He scribbled his signature and Riza handed the pages to Ed.

"There is something actually. I figured that since I don't have a commanding officer directly over me, you could handle the request." The Major said quietly.

"Go on?"

A/N-Nope, still needs another chapter. Like anyone is complaining about this being longer.


	27. Chapter 27

_"There is something actually. I figured that since I don't have a commanding officer directly over me, you could handle the request." The Major said quietly._

_"Go on?"_

Epilogue-Relocation

Several Weeks later-

Edward wearily trudged up the stairs, carrying several boxes as he went. It wasn't just the manual labor that made his ascent slow, it was scalding outside and he could feel it getting hotter with each step he took. Finally he made it to the top, heading for the room at the end of the hallway.

"Winry," he whined loudly. "Where do you want these?" The automail mechanic turned back to him with a screwdriver in her mouth while she finished hanging some curtains. Removing the tool from her between her teeth, she glanced around the already cluttered room. Placing her hands on her hips she let out a sigh.

"Those books aren't gonna be able to go up here." Her husband chewed on the inside of his mouth and rolled his eyes, impatiently.

"I'm not bringing them all the way down stairs again. Besides, I want these books in our room."

"Why can't they go in the office?" Edward frowned, glancing at the boxes in his arms.

"Cause I really wanted these ones up here." Winry tucked a strand of hair behind her bandana. Despite so many years of marriage, something about that look on his face always managed to get to her.

"Fine, they can stay up here." Finding an empty spot on the floor, he placed the heavy boxes down. Pulling the front of his white shirt away from his damp body, he wiped the sweat on his face.

"Of all the places you could have picked to live, why did it have to be Rush Valley?" Winry stuck her nose in the air, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"Because you said I got to pick where we moved."

"Why did I do that," he muttered to himself as he glanced away and crossed his arms. "I hate this town."

"Well technically we're not in town, so it's okay." She walked over to him while he was still scowling and pinched his cheek to get his attention. Before he could pull away from her, there was a crash from downstairs.

"Um, that was Van," the Flame Alchemist hollered up to them. There was another crash and Ed decided it would be in everyone's best interest to head downstairs. Riza was in the kitchen opening boxes and pulling plates out while Roy sat at the table downing a glass of water. Van was sitting on the floor, playing with a wooden car. There were two broken glasses on the floor near Mustang's feet. Edward huffed a breath in frustration.

"You sure Van broke them? From the looks of things, I'd say you did it." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Nope, it was definitely the kid." Roy pointed at the toddler. Edward gave him a fake smile before leaning down to Van.

"Hey Van? Who broke the glasses?" The boy looked up at his dad and immediately pointed a finger back at Mustang.

"Roy broke it." The General grit his teeth in response.

"You're such a snitch, Van." The kid turned and stuck his tongue out. He'd learned a lot from his father. Patting Van on the head, Ed glared up at Mustang.

"And you're such a liar. Besides what are you doing anyway? You're just sitting around while the rest of us work. Even the Lieutenant is working and she's pregnant."

"Yes, and I am supporting her by letting her put dishes away instead of taking it over for her."

"You're so lazy. Why don't you try getting up and help. That was the whole point of you coming out here. It's not a vacation."The blond wiped his forehead to prevent sweat from dripping down into his eyes. Roy yawned in response before stretching his arms over his head.

"Yeah but we've been at it all day. Nothing wrong with taking a short break." Edward let out another huff before glancing away from him.

"You're so useless. Don't even know why I thought it would be a good idea for you to come down here," he muttered to himself. Despite what Ed thought though, the General was down here to get away from Central for awhile. To him it was indeed a vacation. When the Major had told him back up at Northern Command that he needed to start thinking about his family's safety more and wanted to move away from Central, he was hesitant at first. Ed had always been a valuable subordinate, that was why he let him get away with so much. Of course he technically wasn't under him anymore, he still liked having him around. Obviously it was beneficial to have him in situations like the one they just went through. But the Flame alchemist was not the same selfish bastard he'd always been. Now expecting his first child, he understood putting someone else before his own personal needs. So he allowed the transfer to where ever the Elrics chose to go. Ed could come to Central every month or so to get his work done and anything else could be mailed to him.

"If I'm so useless then why were you able to move down here so fast. _And_ as I recall the military paid for the move as well as the house." The older man smiled broadly at his observation. "Had to make sure we were even after all."

"I could have just quit, yah know," the blond was clearly getting heated and not due to the temperature outside. "We would have been just fine." Riza sighed loudly, indicating she didn't want to listen to the two of them anymore. Knowing it was in their best interest to not anger her, both Ed and Roy silently agreed to stop fighting. Several seconds went by where no one said anything, indicating the fight was over.

"Now that you're done squabbling, you can finish unpacking the kitchen, I'm gonna go lay down on the couch." She moved past Ed in the doorway when he forgot he was just suppose to agree.

"But I thought you were gonna do it," Ed asked, noticing she hadn't finished. The lieutenant wasn't armed this particular day, however she didn't need to be. Turning back to him, there was something dangerous in her gaze that caused him to back further into the kitchen, almost tripping over Van. "I mean yeah, you've been working hard, you should go lay down." Mustang stood up from the table.

"You want me to come sit down with you?" He offered, trying to get out of working.

"I said I want both of you to finish, Roy! Now get back to unpacking those boxes!" He hurried behind Ed, waiting for her to leave the area.

"Is she gone?" Edward let out a heavy sigh and turned to pat Roy on the shoulder as he walked away.

"Yeah, you're not surviving seven more months of this. It was nice knowing you."

"You're not funny Ed, now come on. Tell me how you managed to get through this kind of thing."

"Oh so now you _need_ my help? First help me with the kitchen and then we'll talk." Mustang turned and followed him back over to the cabinets.

"Speaking of things that were meant to be discussed later, you never did tell me why you went up north with me." Edward glanced at the ceiling, recalling their conversation.

"Oh yeah, that. I did it cause the Lieutenant asked me." Roy slouched forward.

"You mean it wasn't cause you cared for my well being?"

"Nope, not in the least."

"Uh huh, somehow I don't completely believe that."

"I don't care what you want to believe, she's scary and that's the reason I'm giving."

"Would you two shut up!" They both ducked as though Riza's shouting was something to dodge. Van laughed at the two of them before going back to playing with his car.

"Forget me surviving, you might not either," Mustang pointed out in a hushed tone. Edward found himself smiling ironically at the situation. Despite the arguing, he and the General had grown close through all this. Their relationship, although still professional, had become a friendship that he realized he needed. As much as he once thought of Mustang as nothing more then a manipulative womanizer with no moral compass, his opinion of him was changing. He was about to be an inexperienced father, just like Ed was not too long ago. As Edward started pulling pots out of a box, he let out another sigh.

"Alright, so here's how you handle the Lieutenant..." He kept his voice low to avoid any bodily injury. "You should be taking notes by the way."

-End-

A/N-bah the ending probably could have been better, maybe someone could recommend something. ::sigh:: It's been a really rough week but some reviews would be nice. :) I'd love to make it to 100 cause that would be the most I've ever gotten on one story. Also if you are sad the story ended I have another one called Past and Present that partially takes place in Rush Valley after this one. Thanks everyone who read. By the way I am contemplating a final story to make this and Darkness Within a Trilogy. Stay posted.


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